


Second Best

by Hootax, Jaunty



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Arson, Blood, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, Hop doesn't deserve any of this, Jealousy, M/M, Murder, Rape, Sibling Incest, Yandere, all in all a lighthearted pokemon fanfic, dark themes, dubcon, hop is around 15-16, noncon, yandere Raihan, yandere leon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:40:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 85,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22992598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hootax/pseuds/Hootax, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaunty/pseuds/Jaunty
Summary: Raihan tells Hop he knows what it's like to be second best and takes him back to his hotel room to console him when the emotions of losing the semifinals catch up with Hop, thus setting a series of events in motion that can't be taken back. Truths rise to the surface and others fall. (TW posted on chapters where they apply.)
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Hop, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan, Hop/Kibana | Raihan, Masaru | Victor/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 109
Kudos: 260





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prologue. I'll title it when I start throwing chapters up. This story draws from an RP that I did with Jaunty. I decided it was good enough to share. Please don't take any of it seriously. XD
> 
> Twitter: GottaSecretForYa
> 
> Chapter Warnings: Graphic depiction of violence, blood, murder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cost of fame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Graphic murder and some gore, Arson, exploitation

The news segment was supposed to be about how Champion Leon's little brother had worked so hard only to fail spectacularly in the semifinals. The editor (who was up at 2am the night after said semifinal match slapping the piece together) had obtained the footage from both Leon's and his little brother's matches, some interviews, and social media. All in all, it was a shameless collection, but the guy didn't care. He had a deadline to keep and he wanted to ride the publicity wave from the championship match. 

He'd set up shop in the Channel 4 news van outside of Wyndon Stadium. Even at that late hour, the city was hopping with people partying to celebrate the gym challenge festivities. The editor had allowed himself a six-pack of beer, but he knew that the profit from this segment would be even better than a single night of fun. The Channel 4 studio had advertised the piece earlier that night as a special aside to air before the championship match.

Their tech guy had left for the night after adding a modem for a wireless server to the top of the truck - said he was going to hit up a bar and left quickly enough that he left his tools behind. The inclusion of the new server meant the editor didn't need to bother with going back to the studio to finish up his work. He could stay right here where the entire show was happening. 

At least, he _thought_ that the tech guy had left fifteen minutes ago. He heard somebody open the back of the truck and duck inside.

"That was fast," the editor said. "You forgot your toolbox." He jerked his thumb to one of the shelves of wires and electronics, not bothering to look behind him while he added a bloom effect to a particularly juicy shot of Challenger Hop's face when his last Pokemon went down. 

He heard movement, but no reply. Metal clinked together in the toolbox. Normally, the editor wouldn't care, but tonight the silence irked him. "Hey, Skitty got your tongue? Hurry up and sod off if you're not going to say anything. I'm trying to work here," he said.

Rather than retreat through the door, the sounds of footsteps on the van's cheap carpeting moved closer. They stopped directly behind his chair, as though whoever it was was inspecting the screen of the editor's laptop, where Hop was clearly trying to keep it together for the cameras. This was good stuff! Which was why the editor wanted to chase off the one looking over his shoulder so he could focus.

"What, Are you thick? I told you to get out." He finally turned to peer behind him. There was a glimpse of bright eyes that glittered in the glow from the laptop and an arm drawing back. 

"W-Wait, what the fu-" was all he managed to get out before the claw of a ball-peen hammer plunged through his skull. A streak of crimson shot across the laptop while even more rushed out from the wound like a low-grade geyser. The editor was dead before his body slumped to the floor, his head hitting the side of the desk on the way down. Brain matter leaked out onto the carpet.

A generous amount of blood soaked the attacker's front, making them grumble. Head wounds bled so much that it often became an inconvenience, but there hadn't been enough time to grab something to protect their clothes. They stripped off their shirt and dropped it onto the floor of the van before making their way back outside to their partner. 

"Burn the whole thing." 

There was a deep rumble of agreement. The parking lot behind Wyndon Stadium lit up with a pillar of fire. The news van rocked with the explosion, melting the cameras, wires, and the bloody body inside as the husk burned. 

Channel 4 should have really made sure there were no faulty wires in its van. News of the terrible accident broadcasted the next morning. The segment contrasting Hop to Champion Leon never aired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: @for_gotta  
> CuriousCat: for_gotta


	2. The Championship Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan invites Hop to his hotel room when Hop doesn't seem to be enjoying himself in the stadium during the championship match between Leon and Gloria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Non-con situations in the 2nd half.
> 
> If it feels like this story is moving fast, that's because it is. XD

Hop promised Leon he would be in the stands during the last battle of the championship cup. Even if he wasn't the one standing on the field, he could at least support his big brother. Or was it Gloria he should be supporting? That question plagued him to the point where he hadn't been able to sleep during the previous night. Lee or Gloria. Who did he want to win more?

If Gloria won, he would get to watch one of his rivals become the next champion. It felt as though the struggle had always been a push and pull between Hop, Gloria, and Victor. Gloria had trounced her twin right before facing Hop...who she then proceeded to trounce. The two boys met up with Marnie a bit later and they drowned their sorrows in ginger beer.

At least Gloria was powerful. That made Hop feel not as bad. At least it wasn't just him. Did he even have the right to call her his rival after losing to her time and time again?

On the other hand, if Lee won, then his big brother would remain the undefeated champion and Hop's heart would swell with pride. He loved watching Leon's skill get recognized, almost like Hop could show him off. 

Still, he wished he was standing opposite of his brother on the pitch instead of sitting in a cold folding chair in the stands watching as spectators filtered into the stadium.

While Mum went to catch up with some friends, Hop had snuck down to the champion's locker room. There, Leon locked a thick arm around Hop's neck and tickled him with his free hand while he demanded to know who Hop was going to root for. 

("You! Hah...You! I'll r-root for you!" His sides hurt by the end of his laughing fit and he gasped for breath. 

"Ding, ding! Right answer!" Leon gave a victorious laugh and stopped tickling him. "Don't worry, I won't let you down, li'l bro!"

Even under the circumstances, Leon's bright grin left Hop breathless. He blamed it on the tickling.)

He was caught up in this train of thought when he suddenly became aware of a large body sitting next to him; much too tall and thick to be his mum. He peered up and found Raihan leaning back in the seat with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie. He smiled easily down at Hop.

"How goes it, ace?" he said. "You holding up alright?"

Not the first time someone had asked him that question. Everyone from the reporters flocking the stadium to Mum to Gloria herself had asked him that. So, he did the same thing he did with them and slapped on a smile. 

"Right as rain," Hop said, injecting maybe a little too much enthusiasm into his voice. Yep, right as the tears he sobbed into Dubwool's fluff the first chance he got.

Raihan's eyebrows rose. "Yeah? That's good to hear. You were looking gloomy for a bit there. Thought I'd come up and make sure you weren't getting down on yourself."

Hop felt himself redden and reached up to rub his face as though he could smear on a permanent smile. He didn't mean to look sad. He was trying to avoid this exact thing; someone worrying that he was depressed about losing.

"No! I'm happy!" he protested. "I'm perfectly fine. I can't wait to watch the match!"

Raihan just hummed and slid his hands behind his head, surveying the stands. "It's a good crowd, isn't it? They're riled up. I think it's 'cause Gloria won the finals. We might actually be getting a new champ." He wiggled his eyebrows at Hop.

Hop scoffed, though he couldn't really argue. "We'll see. She's tough but Lee is strong too."

"Don't I know it!" Raihan's gaze landed on the door to the champion's sideline. Despite the humor to his words, Hop saw his shoulders sink when he let out a long sigh. Oh, but Hop wasn't the only one who could be down there right now. His head swam so much while the finals were going on that he hadn't thought much about the contending gym leaders.

He frowned a little. "How are...you holding up?"

"Me?" Raihan shrugged. "About the same. Doing just fine, right? We're all doing fine. Couldn't find anybody finer than us."

Hop snickered and felt a little lighter. Leaning forward, he draped his arms over the metal railing and rested his chin on top of them. His smile turned sad. "I don't know when everyone got so strong. Sometimes I wonder if they're leaving me behind."

He felt a large hand slowly rubbing his back and he shut his eyes, enjoying the feeling. Leon did this to him too, sometimes, and it felt like the tension seeped out of him. 

"I know the feeling. I wonder a lot if the champ left me behind a long time ago and I just haven't realized it yet. And here I am calling myself his rival," Raihan said. “But Leon’s a juggernaut. He hasn't been the champion this long for nothing. I have to keep reminding myself of that.

"And hey, I've seen you battle too, remember? You beat my gym. You have to give yourself credit for that." Raihan hadn't been using his strongest team because he was the last step in the gym challenge, but it was nothing to sneeze at.

"Oh... Yeah! Right, I did! Ha, I guess I am stronger than I thought," he chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his hand with a lopsided smile. His face reddened.

It was comforting for Hop, hearing those words from a trainer like Raihan. The first time he met Raihan, Hop didn’t know that someone could stand so tall and so fierce and yet look so laid back and confident of their own skill. He’d been dealing with these feelings a lot longer than Hop. The slow circles on his back didn’t cease and Hop relaxed into the touch. 

The match began with the opening speeches, but Hop was only half paying attention. He buried his face into his arms with a sigh. This should have been the most important battle he’d ever witnessed. Instead, a lead weight sank into his chest. 

For his credit, Raihan was also barely paying attention. He watched Leon enter the field, stretching his arms and waving to the crowd. He cast his cape off and struck the Charizard pose to a roaring applause. The crowd loved him, hung off his every word. How many of them had posters of him on their walls? How many of them had only ever seen him through the lens of the cameras that skewed him to whatever ideal they wanted?

How many of them knew him as Raihan did? Knew his favorite kind of curry; his favorite memories; the way he spoke to his Pokemon off camera and away from the public eye, like they were an extension of him rather than creatures he trained to battle.

Something squeezed in his gut when he saw those sparkling golden eyes, luscious hair, muscled body... He swallowed and looked down at Hop's soft hair, which was almost the same purple hue as his brother's. "Hey, why don't you and I hang after this? No matter how the match goes, they're gonna be swamped by reporters. You'll be waiting for hours by yourself."

When Hop did watch the match, he was just as focused on Leon, somewhat experiencing the same feeling in his chest when he saw how... _beautiful_ his older brother was. Oh, how he wished to match him in charm and appearance. At Raihan's inquiry, he turned his own golden eyes up towards him. They were so soft compared to the intensity of Leon's. "Sure! I mean...I wouldn't want to deal with reporters anyway. Leon will probably be really busy with them."

Raihan was caught in his gaze for a second. His fingers itched to touch Hop's cheek but he didn't dare do so in the middle of this crowd. He mustered up a grin. "Sweet! The place I'm staying at isn't too far from here. Come and have a drink. We can celebrate being second best together."

 _Second best_. Yes, that's exactly the feeling that hop would often experience with every victorious battle he witnessed from either Leon, Victor, or Gloria. Raihan was right. He would know exactly how that felt. The lead feeling twisted in his belly until it legitimately hurt. Suddenly seeing the match up close and in person was more painful than he thought. "Do you...think we could go now? You...You don't think Leon would be upset if I'm not here to congratulate him?" he asked, not wanting his brother to feel...stood up, in a way.

Raihan turned to smile down at him reassuringly. "He won't want you to feel like you have to wait around for him for hours. Leon will catch you later." Meanwhile, there was another surge of the crowd. Raihan led Hop into the inner halls of the stadium where they could actually hear themselves think from the uproar.

"It isn't far. We'll get to my room long before the match ends and watch the rest of it on the telly." Raihan clapped him on the shoulder...then he found touching Hop like this was kind of nice, so he didn't remove it as they walked to the monorail. Since Raihan lived in the vault in Hammerlock (yes, literally inside a room in the vault), he was staying at the Rose of the Rondelands Hotel during the championship cup in Wyndon. Not in the huge penthouse, unfortunately, but his room was larger than the usual fare with gold-trimmed paintings and leather furniture. He let Hop walk in first and then shut the door behind him. "Take your shoes off. Make yourself comfortable. What do you like to drink?"

Hop didn't seem to mind the hand on his shoulder -- he was more happy with the fact that he finally found someone that could understand his dilemma. It was good to know Hop wasn't just worried over nothing. His eyes went wide and bright at the sight of Raihan's room, a smile clear on his face as he turned to him. "This is awesome! Oh, do you have any...soda? Just anything caffeine!" He even giggled when he remembered a time his mum had to hide the sugary drinks from the brothers when they had been younger.

Seeing Hop's expression change from melancholic to a smile cheered Raihan on. He grabbed a couple of Pokecolas from the fridge and handed one to Hop. He seated himself on the couch, stretching his legs out to rest on the coffee table. The TV was flicked on and the default seemed to be the championship match. He chuckled. "Man, it follows us everywhere, doesn't it?"

Raihan's place seems more vibrant compared to Leon's, who's rarely home to even think about decorating the flat he has. It didn't make sense for Hop to get a hotel room with Leon living in the city, so he'd been staying with his brother. The look of the Rose of the Rondelands made Hop rather cheerful, enjoying his cola as his eyes focused on the telly. "It does. I'm not surprised since it _is_ Lee battling right now."

Leon was currently smirking on camera at the battle against Gloria. He was impeccable even when he worked up a sweat. His eyes blazed with determination and life. He and Gloria were whittling each other down fast, from the looks of things. Maybe this wouldn't last as long as Raihan thought. He patted the cushion beside him. "I meant it, make yourself comfortable, Little Lee."

To Hop, it was always an amazing sight to watch his older brother finally meet his match. To find himself against someone that could potentially defeat him in front of a live audience! Hop had been bouncing in his seat at the other end of the couch before he stopped, turning to Raihan with bewildered eyes. "...Little Lee?" That didn't...really sit well with Hop, and it's shown by his look of discomfort. "Uh...I-I'm fine. Thanks."

Prior to Gloria, Raihan was the only one who had taken out more of Leon's Pokemon than anyone else. Now he was about to be upstaged by a first-timer who was actually able to give Leon a run for his money. He forced a smile and looked over at Hop with stark blue eyes. "Hey, it's okay. I didn't mean anything by it. You just remind me so much of Leon, you know?"

"...Right! Right. It's just..." It's a nickname that's only to be used by Hop _for_ Leon. It holds a lot of sentiment for the teen. Hop turned to watch the television for now, nodding. "But it's fine! Just...a slip of the tongue, yeah?" Though Hop couldn't figure out how and why he would remind Raihan of the champion.

Raihan tilted his head, looking at Hop's profile. He still had some growing to do, but he was well on his way. He was fleshing out, getting muscles in the right places. Most notably to his arms and thighs. He was still lanky, short enough to be considered a child to most adults -- however, his eager curiosity would tell the actual story of a teenager ready to explore the region in its entirety.

He may not be as packed as Leon, but the resemblance was there and it gave him a tug in his lower belly. He put his soda on the coffee table. "Well, I can call you Hopscotch. Remember, like me and Leon used to do all the time?" Back when he and Leon were teens themselves, Raihan would come to visit the young champion in Postwick.

"Y-You...remembered that?!" Hop exclaimed, red at his cheeks as that clicked the memory of him as a little one, wanting to play with Raihan and Leon despite their age differences. "I... Well, I don't _hate_ the name."

The blush over Hop's face was endearing. Raihan laughed. "'Course I remember! You hung around us all the time. Remember I scared you with my jacket when I first got it?" He plucked at one of the 'teeth' around his hood. "You thought it was a Pokemon trying to eat me. "I'm just saying this 'cause...you know you can trust me, right, Hopscotch?"

Raihan would always frighten Hop, alright. Always made him run to either his mum or Leon whenever he's to do that trick of having the hood up for the illusion. Hop knew better, of course, but what is asked of him? Not so much. He isn't sure just why those words felt weighted. He shifted in his seat, giving Raihan a small smile. "...Yeah! Yeah, I do trust you. You're a friend of Lee, right? So you're a friend of mine!"

"Right! See? We're friends. I'm not gonna hurt you. You just look so tense. You know I'm teasing you." He snickered playfully and one of his hands went up to knead the back of Hop's neck gently.

Hop let out a squeak at the hand kneading at his neck, skittish as a Skitty for some reason. Perhaps it's due to the fact that Hop...hadn't really interacted with Raihan all that much. Not when he was always more focused on his brother. "S-Sorry. It's just been kinda tiring today. Guess I'm still on edge over the match!"

"I don't blame you. Damn, it looks like they're down to their last Pokemon," Raihan said. 

Indeed, Leon and Gloria were. Leon had Charizard and Gloria had Vaporeon. Technically, Gloria had the type advantage, but Leon wouldn't let her have an easy win. The match was far from over as they Gigantamaxed their Pokemon. Raihan kept watching the telly, settling his warm hand on the back of Hop's neck casually.

Hop gasped softly. It was going down to the last wire! He watched as Leon's eyes became intense in the way that could only be seen in battles like this. Never had Hop become captivated by how mesmerizing they are. It's only then he realized that Raihan still had a hand on him, gently moving away.

Raihan saw Leon's intensity too, the way a shadow fell over Leon's eyes yet his golden irises seemed to glow with excitement. Raihan loved the adrenaline pulsing through the whole battle. His heart beat a bit faster. He barely noticed Hop had moved away. His arm only moved to rest on the couch behind Hop while his other hand tightened into the fabric of his shorts. "I wonder if this is gonna be it, the day Leon loses...Who are you rooting for?"

"Uh...I don't know," Hop muttered, bringing his knees up to rest his face upon them. He wanted to cheer for Leon simply because he was Hop's brother; Glorias because he had been his childhood friend. _His rival_ . But he'd promised Leon to cheer him on... "I guess I can cheer on both? I can do that, right?" Hop smiled, not wanting either of them to lose but...this battle was just so fierce! He was more mesmerized by how handsome Leon was. Just the way he was _determined_ to retain his title.

"Sure, you can! That way you're winning either way. I like that." A knot in Raihan had tightened while watching the match. It felt like he was suffocating. He glanced over at Hop, seeing the way his eyes worshipped Leon whenever he was on screen. That must be how Raihan looked sometimes, he realized. If he didn't do something to relieve the knot, he was going to be torn in two. "Hey...can you look at me real quick?"

Just as they were reaching the climax of the battle where the Pokemon were on their last stance, Hop blinked when he heard Raihan. "...Huh?" Gold eyes turned towards the other with a questioning gaze.

Time seemed to skip a beat. _Those golden eyes._ Hop's eyes were a little larger, so curious, with his innocence intact. Someone who had left childhood behind on the cusp of adulthood. Would he look like Leon one day? Raihan's gaze dropped from Hop's eyes to his lips. Just once, as he had dreamed of doing to Leon, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Hop's.

Likewise, Hop took in Raihan's features. Never had he realized just how handsome he was. How he could see the unnatural way Raihan's pupils were slitted much like a Dragon-type Pokemon. Hop noticed the way they grew closer and closer... Wait, what?! His golden eyes widened when he felt lips on his, taking a moment to process it before suddenly pushing him away. 

"Wh-What are you doing?!" he cried out in alarm, standing from the couch and wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

Those slits seemed to have widened a little, much like the way a predator's pupils dilated when they had spotted prey. He touched his lips after the kiss as if mesmerized. Then he was forced back into reality when Hop scrambled away from him. "Hop, Hopscotch, wait. I didn't mean to scare you." He caught Hop's jacket before he could get too far.

He had half the mind of ripping out of his hold. To run off... _somewhere_ in the flat so he could collect his thoughts on what had just happened. Instead, like a Deerling in headlights, Hop just stood where he was, golden eyes wide and entire figure tense. Stiffened like a Pichu caught in a mousetrap. "...R-Raihan..."

Raihan slid off the couch to crouch down in front of Hop, making himself small so Hop wouldn't be intimidated. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay. Sorry, I didn't mean to catch you off guard. You just looked so much like..." His fingers tightened in Hop's jacket. "I wouldn't hurt you, remember?"

Trembling like he's standing in the middle of an icebox, Hop's gaze never left him as he's to crouch before him. "...Yeah. Yeah, I remember. But uhm...c-can you let go of me? Please..?"

Now Raihan was speaking quietly like he was talking to a Wimpod. "Oh. Yeah." He reluctantly released his grip on Hop's jacket. "Just calm down." It sounded like he was telling that to himself as much as Hop. "Was that your first kiss?"

The moment that he did, Hop moved away until he was leaning against the wall. While that had just happened, revealing anything regarding _romance_ and relationships was enough to make Hop sputter. Finally, he mumbled something intelligible under his breath and nodded.

"Ohh, shit...Sorry, had I known that I would have made it better. Y'know, made you more comfortable." He stood up and followed Hop to the wall. He put his hands on either side of him, not quickly or aggressively, but just keeping him in one place without touching him. "I forget you're not like Leon. He's been around, I'll tell you that!" He chuckled.

Made him comfortable? Wait, did Raihan hold some... _feelings_ towards Hop? How? His eyes trailed up so that they are to meet in gazes. Something like heat formed at the bottom of his belly at the way Raihan is staring down at him, but the bewilderment greatly outweighed it. "...B-Been around?" Hop asked, innocently somehow since he wasn't one to prey into Leon's personal life at all.

Raihan's eyes were still piercing as they took all of Hop in. _The dragon who caught its next meal._ Though he smiled easily. "You know what I mean. Sometimes he brings people back home and fools around. There are plenty of men and women who want a piece of the Champion." He chuckled again, somewhat bitterly. "Sometimes if I visited his place without telling him, he'd be snogging someone else. It was a bit surprising, but that's Leon for you."

And Hop, being none the wiser like an innocent Wooloo, had his breath slowed for a moment before taking a hesitant swallow. "He...He does?" The thought that his brother, on whom he had a puppy crush on, snogging someone that wasn't him made Hop's stomach twist uncomfortably. Perhaps not unlike the bitterness in Raihan. "Oh... I see." 

Wondering if he could escape out of here without Raihan being quicker, Hop asked one last question with quivering breaths. "What...What does that have to do with me?"

Raihan didn't miss the flash of emotion that crossed Hop's face when he was told of Leon's dalliances. What was that about? Raihan had an inkling, considering how Hop looked at Leon on TV and when his older brother was around, but he wouldn't say anything unless he was 100% sure... "I mean...here I am expecting you to make out with me when you're still brand new to this. That isn't fair to you. Leon would get down to business, you should be treated carefully and treasured, you know?"

"Uhm..." And that was it. Hop listened as the match finally finished. He isn't certain who came out of that victorious, but now, Hop wanted nothing but to head on home and wait for Leon to return. "I-I have to go," Hop stammered out, reaching over to push Raihan's hand out of the way so he could leave. "I need to wait for Lee and...uh..."

Raihan's eyes narrowed and his smile faded a tad. "He's going to be at the stadium for a _long_ time, Hopscotch. Do you have any idea what the news stations and the League do after a championship battle? They're gonna keep Leon there all night. He's not gonna have time to see you until morning."

"Oh... Oh, well..." Still, Hop did not like _any of this_! He placed his hands along Raihan's chest though to move away. "I-I'm still going home. I know how to take care of myself! If I have to wait, I will..!" Hop's voice quivered ever so slightly, but he's wanted to leave.

Raihan moved to take hold of Hop's upper arms firmly. "Why not stay here longer? I told you we would celebrate after the match. The streets are going to get dangerous real fast with people going nuts. I'll take care of you."

"R-Raihan, I... I really need to go." What was going on with him? Did he not see that he was making Hop uncomfortable? How his actions thus far were threatening on their own?! That's when the scrawny little thing began to fight. "L-Let me go..!" Hop panicked, trying to move away from Raihan. "Th-This isn't funny anymore, Raihan!" His eyes were wide with panic, now having the same intensity as Leon's -- however, the reason why was vastly different.

Arceus, those eyes. So focused, so blazing and sharp. The exact same eyes Raihan saw at the other end of the field when he battled Leon. That was when Raihan's heart had been captured, he thought, with that golden gaze focused on no one else but him. Raihan's pupils widened a bit more, as though transfixed, bewitched by a Mismagius, maybe. He responded to the fighting by pulling Hop close and clasping his arms around him to dampen his struggling. "Calm down. I said _calm down_. I just want to try something..."

What was happening to Raihan!? With how he was looking down at Hop, the teen was starting to wonder if some Pokemon had possessed him -- there's no way that he'd normally act like this! "Raihan! N-No!" he responded to being pulled closer by struggling even more. "Let me go! Lee! Lee!!" Hop is starting to panic now. He just wanted nothing more but to have his older brother to help him -- this was supposed to be his friend!

When Hop began shouting, the bottom of Raihan's stomach fell away. Like a knee-jerk reaction, he pushed Hop against the wall with his body and clapped a hand over Hop's mouth."Shh! How many times do I have to tell you to calm down?! I told you I'm not going to hurt you. Just listen to me!"

His cries were muffled as he was shoved against the wall, those wide eyes staring luminously up at him. While he trembled in Raihan's hold, he was no longer fighting against him and his hands gripped at the other's wrist. He's silent for now, but who knew what he would do if Raihan let his guard down for even a second.

Raihan anticipated that and so held him like that a little longer. He raised his head and stared down at Hop, their faces only inches apart. "There we go. Okay...Okay." He was breathing hard with the effort to quell Hop's struggles. "If you scream like that, someone might hear and come investigate. What if they see us like this? Don't you think it would look bad for Leon?"

Why would that even be the issue? It was Raihan that was attempting to keep Hop in his clutches and seemingly hold him against his will. However, he thought of Leon, making him lower his gaze in realization. Despite this, he really wasn't wanting to cause a rift between Raihan and Leon -- they were absolute best friends, after all! He then slowly shook his head, sniffling slightly.

Raihan relaxed by increments. He didn't like manhandling Hop like this. He wanted those beautiful eyes to look at him with adoration. "Alright, I'm going to take my hand away and you'll keep quiet, okay? I'm not going to do anything bad to you. This isn't wrong! It can be fun, actually, especially if we take it slow."

That's what frightened Hop -- what did Raihan have in mind for him? Take _what_ slow? Hop expected to just...sit here with his brother's best friend and watch Leon on television, away from the rambunctious crowd of the stadium, not this! He didn't want to do _anything_ with him...but he wanted to agree with him just in case. So, he simply nodded, eyes now watery with what one can assume to be fear.

Raihan's mind was full of Wooloo fluff. He registered the fear and assumed Hop must be reacting this way because he was shy. If Raihan had been his first kiss, he'd probably never slept with anyone before. If they had more time, Raihan would make things romantic, but as it was, he had an itch that needed to be scratched. The exertion from their fight was kind of a turn on, actually. Hop's huge eyes weren't helping. 

He slowly uncovered Hop's mouth and stroked his cheek, noting the tears. "Hey, hey, none of that. You can trust me. You already said you did. Tell you what, come with me down the hall and I can show you how to feel good." He leaned down again and kissed Hop's cheek before taking his hand.

Hop was still a teenager! Why wouldn't he feel shy towards Raihan's advances like this? Especially when it looked like he had _no idea_ what Raihan wanted from him. Hop was even unaware of what Raihan had meant when he said Leon liked "fooling around". He flinched at the finger along his cheek, sniffling quietly. He _thought_ he could trust Raihan... 

"No. No, no, no, please..." Hop pleaded quietly, making a noise at the kiss at his cheek. He planted his feet on the ground, shaking his head. "I...I don't want this. Whatever you're wanting. I just... I want to go home!"

"I told you it's dangerous out there! People are gonna be drunk and partying in the streets. What if someone hits you or tries to take advantage of you? You're pretty, Hop. Someone would be dying to drag you into an alleyway and have their way with you." The corner of Raihan's mouth lifted and he tugged on Hop's hand towards his bedroom. "You don't even know what it's like yet. I'll be gentle, don't worry. I wouldn't hurt Leon's little brother. It'll be a lot more comfortable on my bed than on this floor." Here he chuckled, a smidge darkly.

"I'd rather take my chances!" In spite of his stubborn stance, Raihan could easily drag Hop wherever he wanted him. The idea of going to the bedroom spelled nothing but his _doom_ . "Raihan...!" Hop fought to wrestle his hand out of his grip, looking around for _anything_ to use to pry him off. Where was his Rotom phone? His Pokeballs? Just anything to save him from this predicament.

Raihan rolled his eyes. He was trying to be patient with Hop for his sake, but Hop was a stubborn one. What more could he expect though? Hop was Leon's little brother, after all. The thought was almost endearing. He grabbed hold of Hop's arm and pulled him close again until he could get his arms around him. He started half-carrying and half-dragging Hop down the hall. Despite what he'd said, he really didn't want to bruise his knees on this floor. "I'm not giving you _the plague_ , Little Lee. Everything's fine! Just let me show you how good it is."

Why couldn't he see that the teen didn't want this?? Didn't he realize the consequences if he was to do...anything undesirable towards Leon's little brother? The Champion could be ruthless and punishing; the need for peace at any other time would hide what he's capable of doing. "Don't call me that! Let me go! I don't fucking want this!" With renewed strength, he kicked his legs. His knee hit Raihan's groin.

The impact made Raihan freeze, sucking air through his teeth. Oh god, it stung. He lost the strength in his legs and sank towards the floor, bringing Hop with him. With a gulp of air, he shoved Hop to his back on the floor, where he pinned him down with his body while he regained his composure. He grabbed Hop's wrists and held them down, propping himself up to glare wide-eyed at Hop. His pupils had dilated unnaturally. Tears from the pain landed on Hop's face, but Raihan looked angry more than anything else. "That...fucking... _hurt_." His voice came out as a growl. "You're going to pay for that."

...He didn't expect that. Hop didn't expect Raihan to keep his tight grip on him, even when he's down to the ground from the pain. The teen whimpered in distress when he's shoved onto the floor, staring up widely at the other when he could physically see those pupils dilating. How in Arceus could human eyes do that?! Ice surged through him when he growled down at him, a tear of his own falling at his words. "...Please. Please, I...I want to go home... I want to go to Lee."

Seeing Hop like this, with so much fear in his eyes, should have made Raihan stop a long time ago. He'd spent so much time around Leon and Hop that it felt like Hop was his younger brother too. Weird how they were here now. But Raihan was too far gone in whatever madness was gripping him to wonder at it. 

He gave Hop an odd look. "You seem to be preoccupied with Leon an awful lot. What, are you _in love_ with him or something?" His grip tightened around Hop's wrists.

This is what made Hop so frightened. Raihan was supposed to be someone that Hop could look up to; a childhood friend that had been there for Hop even when it had just been him and Leon. Why was he doing this, Hop grimly wondered. His breath hitched when that grip tightened, shame warming his cheeks as Hop averted his gaze -- his silence gave it all up.

Raihan expected anger or embarrassment at the suggestion, not the silence and the shame. "Oh shit..." His icy blue eyes widened in shock. "You're in love with Leon." 

And Leon was probably so dense he never noticed. Hell, he'd never noticed how _Raihan_ felt about him either. Leon could barely walk down the street without getting lost. He should be disgusted or feel sorry for Hop. Instead, the only thing that came to mind was how the entire thing was kinda hot, which should have been most disturbing. 

Instead, he sneered. "What makes you think he would go for you? You're not even his type. Do you even know what he would do if he found out?" Awful things he was saying, but he couldn't stop. Jealousy gnawed at his heart.

Leon would _never_ know of their feelings. The guy would need to have it spelled out before him and even then, you had to _pray_ that it's to click with him. Every word that came out of Raihan's mouth is like an arrow piercing through Hop's heart. Those questions are the ones always in mind, and to hear them for real made him squirm. "N-No... No, I don't know. I...I love him so much. I want to be with him! He's always been there for me!" Hop tugged at his wrists, though they didn't budge. "Whatever he does, I want to be with him. Be there for him..!" He finally met Raihan's gaze, golden eyes now determined even if watery. "He's my brother! It isn't like you understand!"

"You think I don't understand what it's like to love him? Even as family? Let me tell you something, you brat. Things were brilliant around here before you came around. I was the one he came to for help! Then you entered the gym challenge and he started following you around to make sure you were safe while I stayed cooped up in Hammerlocke," Raihan said.

Some parts of that weren't as true as others, but he didn't care. He stopped when Hop looked at him. Even in this situation, he had fight in him. So much like Leon whenever he was down to the wire in battle. Watching him was most fun then, seeing his passion. 

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. He didn't care what happened, he was going to take this _Little Lee_ whether he wanted it or not. If he couldn't have Leon, he would have the next best thing. 

With his jaw set, he climbed to his feet, yanking Hop up and dragging him down the hall. "You're coming with me."


	3. The Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dragon gives in to his lust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Serious, explicit noncon. 
> 
> What am I doing with my life?

Wait... So Raihan held the same feelings as Hop towards Leon? For how long? Ever since they were teenagers? Now, there was some guilt beginning to surface, simmering with the fear at the thought of actually being responsible for coming in between Leon and Raihan. Well, Leon might have never noticed his friend's affections towards him, but to think that Raihan would have any bout of negative feelings thanks to Hop... 

When Raihan started dragging him down the hall, Hop kicked at his legs again but hit empty air. 

"No! No, please...!" Hop cried out, pummeling Raihan’s chest with small fists.

Raihan may not have had as much muscle as Leon, but he was still a lot stronger than Hop. He ignored the fists like they were Cutiefly bites and reached around to open the bedroom door, shoving Hop inside and causing him to tumble to the floor. Raihan locked the door behind them. 

"I tried to be gentle with you, _Hopscotch_. I didn't want things to end up like this. I woulda treated you right. Now you've made things go to pot," he said, rolling up his sleeves as he approached Hop.

Hop whipped around to him and shuddered when the nickname sounded like Raihan just spat out poison. Hop whimpered as he quickly climbed up to his feet, moving away from the other as much as possible. "Get away from me...!" Hop exclaimed, an octave higher than his usual pitch. Just some frightened, little prey that realized he had nowhere else to go. The door was locked, they were too high up for Hop to climb out of the window, and Raihan had already proven he was able to overpower Hop without much effort.

Hop found himself huddled in a corner, hands raised up to futilely defend himself. "...D-Don't come a-any closer!"

Raihan’s prey was cornered and his fear was delicious. Raihan had never felt so alive. When he sneered, his signature canines showed in full. People said he had the soul of a dragon. Now it looked like that might be true. He ran his tongue over his lips and teeth. 

"Come here, little Wooloo. If you don't fight me, I can take my time. I can prepare you right proper. It doesn't have to hurt...as much." Raihan just grabbed Hop's hands and hauled him up. He tried to get his arms around Hop, finding purchase so he could lift him up and dump him unceremoniously on the bed.

Just seeing that predatory expression on Raihan had Hop frozen on the spot. People may have exaggerated about him having the soul of a dragon of some kind, but seeing him now? Hop suddenly felt like he was thrusted right into the old ages where humans coexisted with such beings. He yelped as his hands were grabbed, bouncing on the bed once before turning and attempting to crawl away, now calling for help - _for Leon_ \- in desperation.

Raihan crawled up onto the mattress after him, grabbing his legs and pulling him back towards him. It would be easy to take him like this, just pull down his pants and force himself inside, but he wanted to see Hop’s eyes while he was fucked. He flipped Hop over so that he was on his back and climbed on top of him, straddling Hop and using his weight to hold him down. 

It was right around that point when the buzzing of a phone and a ringer could be heard. It wasn't Raihan's ringtone. So it must be Hop's. Raihan growled. "Give me the phone."

Hop was definitely a fighter. He had the same passion coursing through him as Leon did in the middle of battle. He gasped when he heard the buzzing and then the ringer. _It had been in his jacket pocket the entire time_. Hop cursed himself internally, reached down with a shaky hand to dig it out. A small part of him hoped that it was someone other than Leon. Every urge in him would want him to make a noise; to call out to his brother to aid him if he was the one on the other end. To tell him what Raihan was currently doing to him.

If there was one thing Raihan had to admit, it was that he admired Hop's gusto. Courage ran in the champion's family, eh? As soon as Hop retrieved his phone, Raihan snatched it away and looked at the caller ID. 

"Shit." It was Leon. Of course it was Leon. Raihan slowly looked down at Hop. He held his index finger over Hop's lips. "Not a sound. Not one word. If you say _anything_ , I _will_ make you regret it. Understand?"

Hop knew that it was incredibly risky to go against his demands. He didn't even want to imagine what Raihan could do to him. What could possibly be worse than what he's wanting to do with him now? Hop remained quiet, wishing the ground below them could swallow him whole. His savior was a phone call away and there was nothing Hop could do to reach him.

When it was clear that Hop would stay quiet, Raihan sat up. "Good choice." 

Then he answered the phone, his voice suddenly light and chipper. "Hey, Champ! Surprise!" 

Through the silence of the room, Hop would be able to hear Leon's heavenly voice over the phone. "Wha- Raihan? Is Hop with you? I'm looking for him. Nessa said she thought she saw him leaving with you, but she was too far away to say for sure. What's going on?" 

Raihan's gaze slid over to Hop's face. "Yeah, I took him to my hotel room to rest. He said he wasn't feeling well. Probably nerves while watching your match." 

Leon sounded a little disappointed. "Really? Damn, I wish he would have told me. Thanks for looking after him." 

"No problem, mate. He's sleeping right now," Raihan said. 

"Ah. Well, I guess he can stay there for a bit,” Leon said. “Are you sure you don't want me to pick him up?" 

Raihan's icy eyes held Hop's. "Nah, don't worry about it. It's not a problem at all. I'll send him home in the morning if he feels better."

Hop's lips thinned. He swallowed like he was shoving down the urge to call out to Leon. His big brother wouldn't know what was happening to him until the morning after. Hop’s fingers curled into the blankets below them. His eyes focused on the phone, just hearing Leon's voice comforted him, but it didn't quell the distress in his eyes. 

Hop just wanted to talk to him. He wanted Leon to tell him that he loved him and that he would be there to greet Hop when Raihan let him go. He gave a soft whine, unable to help himself.

At the sound, Raihan's hand came down hard over Hop's mouth. Please don't let Leon have heard... 

"Huh? Was that Hop? It sounded like him,” Leon said.

"Yeah, just making sounds in his sleep. Must be having a dream. It's kinda cute, actually." Raihan chuckled playfully. 

Hop's hands immediately went up to take hold of Raihan's wrist. His eyes widened when Leon questioned if the sound had been him. Oh, Hop wanted to _scream_ to Leon to rescue him. That his best friend was _hurting_ him.

"Pfft, whatever. Well, I guess I'll see you two tomorrow. But hey, did you watch the end of the match?" Leon said, with some eagerness.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world,” Raihan said. “Hop was dying to see it.”

This time Leon chuckled fondly. "He always is! Well, I hope he's proud of me. I avenged his loss to Gloria! Actually, I know it's kinda sappy, but I dedicated the match to him, you know?" 

A flash of jealousy and spite crossed Raihan's eyes. "Nah, that's not sappy at all! I'll tell him when he wakes up."

Hop’s eyes softened when he heard Leon's words. Always thinking about his younger brother even when the match was supposed to be between him and Gloria exclusively. The day was all about Leon retaining his title. 

He didn't miss the way a shadow covered Raihan’s face. Hop now realized the full magnitude of Raihan's feelings towards his brother -- he was so infatuated with his friend that he was willing to hurt said friend's little brother over it.

"No, no! Don't tell him! I don't need him thinking I'm overly attached or sentimental," Leon said.

"You worry too much. I'm sure he'll _love_ you no matter what." Raihan's hand tightened around Hop's jaw. "Well, listen. I think my talking might be waking him up, so I'd better let you go." 

"Oh, sure. I'll see both of you tomorrow. Really wish I could have seen Hop after the match, though..." Leon said, wistfully.

They said their goodbyes and Raihan hung up the call. He kept his face down, his shoulders shaking for a long moment. Then he suddenly threw the phone across the room. "Are you _fucking_ serious?!"

Hop's muscles twitched when the grip on his jaw tightened, already feeling the ache from the fingers pinching into some sensitive areas. When the phone call ended, Hop shut his eyes with a whimper when he heard the phone being thrown. The Rotom chirped indignantly before floating down and putting itself to sleep.

Hop then opened red, watery eyes up at Raihan when he shook his head, though it wasn't clear if this was in response to Raihan's question or to get his hand off. 

Raihan finally, finally loosened his grip and dragged his hand away. He was breathing heavily. "Not once did he _ever_ dedicate shit to me. I'm willing to bet I did more for him than you ever did." He stared down at Hop. His blue eyes almost glowed in the dim light from the moon while the rest of him was dark. 

His voice was eerily calm when he spoke next. "Well, well, you did good, barring that mistake in the middle. Since I smoothed it over, I guess it could be forgiven. You have _all night_ to make it up to me, after all." He leaned down and bucked his hips against Hop's making it clear exactly how Hop was going to pay for the misstep.

Why couldn't Raihan realize that the relationship was different between them? Despite everything, Leon and Raihan weren't related, and Leon had once confided to Hop that he regretted having to leave his brother alone most of his life due to him being Champion. Their bond was a lot stronger than that of childhood friends. 

Hop shut his eyes as he turned his head to avoid looking at what Raihan was doing to him. He did everything he could to avoid his body responding to the movements. 

"Please...think this over," Hop whispered. A dry sob escaped his throat. "You don't have to do this."

"Oh. We're doing this. What's there to think about? If I can't have him...I can have you..." He ran a hand up underneath Hop's shirt, feeling the warm, silky skin. His head dipped down and he began to mouth at Hop's neck. "Be good for me, now," he purred between wet noises as he tasted Hop's throat.

Hop made noises that only baby Pokemon could make when Raihan started to attack his neck. Hop had the scent and _taste_ of sugar. The sweetness was very different from Leon's masculine musk. It was like Hop just spent all day in a candy store. "No... No," he pleaded, almost in a chant as he brought his head to the other side.

"Save your breath and shut up. Unless it's to moan my name. Feel free to do that as much as you want.~" The sugary scent was okay. It didn't have the same hypnotic effect as Leon's cologne, but beggars couldn't be choosers. He pulled back just enough to work Hop's jacket and shirt off.

Hop didn't wish to give Raihan the satisfaction of moaning his name. He clamped his mouth shut, though his eyes shimmered with tears. His slender physique was, in every definition of the term, polar opposite of his brother. There is fat; the beginning of muscle at his hips and flat tummy that didn't show a hint of abs whatsoever. A fresh canvas to mark and claim. 

He was still youthful while approaching the cusp of adulthood. People kept mistaking that he was younger than he actually was. He'd be ripe for the taking, so it hadn't been much of a stretch for Raihan to believe that someone could have plucked Hop right off the streets.

Raihan let out a long exhale as he tossed the clothing over the side of the bed. His eyes roved over Hop's newly exposed torso. "Hey, not bad, Little Lee. You're a bit scrawny, though." He pinched some skin on Hop's belly. "We need to fatten you up, get you to work out. You'll look as good as him eventually. But for now, I'm going to make you mine." 

He grasped either side of Hop's waist and delved down to run his tongue from the belly button to the middle of his chest before placing a sharp bite over his heart.

Arceus, Hop wished he would stop calling him that! He had a feeling Raihan was calling him that simply because he was Leon's brother -- he pondered how deep those feelings ran before he squeaked at the pinch. "...No..." he mewled. 

He shuddered in disgust at the tongue running along his skin, shutting his eyes at the sensation before those golden eyes flew wide open. He cried out when Raihan's teeth sank into his skin. They are _sharp_! How is that even possible!? "Get away! No!!" He pushed at Raihan's head which made him grunt and pull back. 

"You're really starting to test my patience. Keep this up and I'll go in dry. You don't want that for your first time, trust me. Stings like a motherfucker for days," Raihan said. He tweaked one of Hop's nipples. "Tell you what, if it makes you feel any better, just shut your eyes and pretend I'm your big bro. I'll bet you'd be _begging_ him to bite you."

Going in dry... Oh, how was he supposed to explain _that_ to Leon in the morning? As much as he wanted to tell Leon about the horrific act being done to him, Hop didn't want to cause a huge conflict -- his brother already had to deal with enough as it was. 

"Ngh... What would make me feel better...is if you let me go," Hop tersely replied, eyes narrowing though it's diluted due to pain blooming from the bite.

Raihan laughed through his nose and shrugged. "Keep hoping, see how far it gets you." He unzipped his hoodie, shrugging it off of his shoulders and pulled his shirt over his head. While he wasn't as broad as Leon, he was taller and certainly no less well-built. There were scars over his skin here and there from wrangling his dragon Pokemon. He dragged off his orange headband and dropped it onto his jacket, shaking his head a bit. His dreads brushed his shoulders when they fell around his head. 

"Alright, we've wasted enough time, eh? Let's take these off." He plucked at the denim of Hop's jeans and then began to undo the button and zipper so he could pull them down.

Hop knew resisting was futile. No matter how much he begged, Raihan would just laugh in his face and continue with his...his actions. He tried not to stare at the bare torso before him -- he knew that Leon's body would be much more appealing than the one that was going to force itself onto him. Even if Raihan had an impressive build and his hair flowed naturally along his shoulders. Hop trembled when he realized what was about to happen, causing him to shoot his hands up to take hold of Raihan's wrists. "W-Wait..."

Raihan couldn't hide a smirk when he caught Hop peering at his body. "You can look however much you want. Hell, touch me if you want. I don't mind." He raised an eyebrow when Hop grabbed his wrists, though. 

"What?" He spoke bluntly. "I'm fucking you no matter what you're about to say, so don't bother haggling."

Hop pursed his lips, biting into his bottom lip in worry. Raihan would be able to feel how his warm hands shook.

"E-Even if I just...suck you off?" he said. "I can do that! I'll do that if...if you just don't fuck me. Please...?" Hop could settle with that! Oh Arceus, he didn't want his first time to be with his... _his rapist_ . Would Leon even believe him if he tried to tell him _who_ had been the one to hurt Hop? "A-Anything... Anything but fucking me??"

Despite Raihan telling him not to bother bargaining, he couldn't deny the way his cock stiffened in response to Hop's offer of sucking him off. His gaze dropped to Hop's lips. He reached up and ran his thumb over the bottom lip. 

"Hmm...that's tempting. But I don't know...What if this is my only chance to fuck you?" He sounded mockingly forlorn. He took hold of Hop's chin and leaned down close to his face. "Tell you what...if you kiss me like you _really_ mean it, I might let you get off with a blowjob."

Hop desperately hoped this would be the only time they were alone together. All he needed was for Raihan to be satisfied with just a blowjob. With that in mind, Hop thought he could deal with kissing him. He stared up into those icy blue eyes, nodding slowly. 

"O-Okay..." came the small reply, gold eyes flickering down at the other's lips before he shyly leaned up to engage in what he _hoped_ was a deep kiss. This could all be over soon and then he'd be home free.

The shy look in those innocent, golden eyes nearly drove Raihan wild. The kiss was light at first. He could tell Hop was very new to this. He wondered what it would be like for Hop to be there willingly. He tilted his head so that he could deepen the kiss even more. He wove his fingers into Hop's shock of purple hair, eventually clamping his mouth down with his tongue prodding for entrance into Hop's mouth.

Hop whimpered at the way Raihan maneuvered for the kiss to become more intimate. Of course Raihan would want to make this as personal as possible. He had no choice but to part his lips, further sealing their kiss until they were locked together. His eyes appeared _dazed_ when they fluttered open then slipped shut as he's taken deeper into the heated sensation pooling between his legs. He was feeling like this just from kissing?! Clearly, an inexperienced young one.

The little sounds that Hop made had the same intoxicating effect as downing five shots of Gloom vodka one after another. Raihan's brow was knitted together as though he was concentrating hard. When he did pull away, his eyes were slightly glazed over. 

"That's it, baby..." He whispered. "Say my name." He kissed along Hop's jaw and mouthed over his pulse.

"Haaa..." Soft breaths came from him as Raihan trailed kisses along his jaw. If this was what making out was like, Hop wondered what it would be like with Leon. It certainly wouldn't be as rough -- perhaps tender? Would he treat his brother as a sweet, precious thing rather than a piece of meat ready to be ripped apart and devoured? 

At that moment, he didn't want to say anything. His gaze, while just as distant, was nearly blank - a means to separate himself from what was happening. Hop stared at the ceiling with another whimper, the hand laying at the side of his head now slightly curling. 

".. _L-Lee_..."

Well, _that_ name certainly cut through the haze. Raihan paused for the space of a couple of heartbeats, and then he snorted and laughed quietly with his face buried in that soft throat. He _had_ told Hop to imagine he was Leon. 

He leaned up to kiss right below Hop's ear. "That's right. I want to hear you moan for me, Hop." His hand slid over Hop's chest, teasing his nipples softly before sliding over the sensitive skin of his belly. He returned to kissing his mouth, picking up where they left off before.

For a moment, Hop believed that he messed up with their arrangement before remembering that Raihan indeed told him to fantasize about his older brother. Which...he might as well take advantage of, considering that saying his brother's name felt better than Raihan's. 

He sank his teeth into his bottom lip as Raihan brought his hand along his chest and stomach, refraining from squirming under his touches. He keened as they resumed the kiss, his fingers taking hold of the blankets again.

Raihan gave a breathy moan in response. He slid his tongue over Hop's teeth. Every wet sound made from the kiss seemed to go right to his prick. His hand continued south until it was groping at Hop's inner thighs. Finally, it settled over his groin and gently squeezed.

Hop wanted to berate his body for reacting like this to this man's unpleasant touches. Every touch felt like a searing pain as though Hop is coming to contact with a hot stove. Every kiss twisted his stomach. When he felt that hand fondling his thighs and groin, he gasped, pulling away from the kiss. 

"T-Touching me wasn't part of it...!" he protested, wanting to get this blowjob over with so he can either be left alone or allowed to leave.

Raihan had been caught up in a rather pleasant haze that was suddenly broken by Hop jerking away from him. He blinked and leaned up to stare down at him with a blank expression. 

"You said anything other than fucking. Well, I'm not fucking you, am I?" He gave Hope another squeeze. "Relax and let me work."

Well, he did have a point. However, Hop was starting to loathe Raihan's every touch, even if he gasped and whined at the hand squeezing him. He shut his eyes, not even wanting to _pretend_ he wasn't feeling disgusted. "...Just get it over with."

"I mean, I can if you want. I figured you'd at least want to try and enjoy it," Raihan said. He scraped his teeth lightly over Hop's neck. The more Hop resisted him, the more Raihan was determined to make him come one way or another. He slid his hand into the waistband of Hop's pants and took hold of his prick. "You were doing fine imagining Leon was kissing you. What if he held your dick like this?"

Every sneering word from Raihan only ruined the fantasy with Leon. His touch felt _different_ than what he imagined from his brother. Hop moaned quietly when his cock is taken hold of, quite a small thing compared to anyone else who was well-endowed. 

"...He'd be better than you..." Hop bitterly muttered.

Any semblance of amusement or kindness drained away fast. Raihan growled, annoyed. 

"Really? You hate this that much? Want me to get it over with so you can go and suck your big brother's dick? Fine. We'll do it your way," he said. Without warning, he took hold of the waistband of Hop's jeans and began jerking them off, only moving aside so he could guide them over Hop's legs.

Hop gasped when his jeans were being tugged off and he had an urge to make it difficult for Raihan but he _had_ seen the man angry before... 

"Wh-What are you doing..?!" Hop started to worm away, unknowingly helping Raihan in pulling his pants and boxers off so that he was completely bare.

"Welp, I'm just going to fuck you now," Raihan said. "You think I'm interested in having you gag around my cock because I'm _so disgusting_?" 

Hop's pants joined their clothes on the floor and Raihan took all of him in with a predatory glint in his eye. So small, so adorable. So damn hot. Raihan's erection was getting more insistent. He closed his hands around Hop's thighs and hauled him closer while opening his legs so he could sit between them.

"No!!" Hop's struggling and squirming in his hold, feeling completely exposed when his legs are opened to show that adorable little entrance that, to Raihan, would be perfect to pound into. "No, no! Raihan, please..!!" His hands flew up and around, finding the edge of the bed and attempting to pull himself away.

Raihan's eyes were like a Seviper's closing in, slitted eyes that were half-lidded in hunger. "Mmm...~ This will be good." When Hop tried to pull himself away, Raihan grabbed his forearms and jerked them back down. "Am I going to have to tie you down? 'Cause I will."

Suddenly, that thought that Raihan might be possessed didn't sound so trivial or childish. He gasped with teary eyes as he was yanked down. "N-No..." Hop tried to close his legs but it was impossible with Raihan sitting between them. "R-Raihan, please... I don't like this. I just... I..."

Both of Hop's wrists were transferred to one large hand which then held them down just over Hop's head. He pinched Hop's cheek, where a tear trail was. "Just lay back and think of Galar, like they told women to do back in the day. I'm not going to kill or seriously injure you. You're too cute for that.~ Leon would never forgive me if I did." 

He licked the fingers of his free hand, not breaking eye contact with Hop, and then reached down to push a couple of fingers into his entrance.

Just saying that implied that Raihan had _definitely_ thought of hurting him. Of... _killing_ him. If Hop hadn't been related to Leon, what would Raihan have done if Hop became too difficult for him? Hop swallowed in fear, keeping terrified eyes on Raihan as though he's afraid of any sudden movements from him. 

He yelped at the barely slicked fingers pushing into him. Pain etched upon his face as his inner walls tightened around the digits, futilely pleading with Raihan to take them out. "...It...It hurts!"

Seeing the pained and fearful emotions cross over Hop's face was exciting Raihan more than he ever thought would be possible. He was seeing a different side to the teen, one he should have never seen. But everything on Hop's face would be reminiscent of a side of Leon and that's what drew Raihan in the most. He wanted to watch Hop's face transform into horror, pleasure, fear, whatever. 

His fingers delved deeper, stretching Hop. "Just give me a second. Try to relax your body."

How could Hop relax when he was literally being molested and fingered? Hop isn't a complete stranger to sex and what is to happen during it, but he had wanted his first time to be with someone he loved. Someone who wouldn't do _this_. 

Eventually, the teen made a confused moan when Raihan managed to find that one spot. Hop's legs squirmed and writhed when that _unwanted_ pleasure shot through him. "Unh..! Rai...han..!"

Raihan's face took on a transfixed look again. "Oh, that's it, baby. Say my name just like that." He repeated his motions until he found the spot that made Hop twitch and writhe with pleasure and then rubbed it mercilessly, licking his lips.

The way Raihan rubbed at it prevented Hop from having any coherent thought. His eyes were half-lidded in pleasure and his lips parted to let out delicious moans and whines as writhed under Raihan. ' _Stop'_ is what he wanted to say to Raihan, but all that came out were gasps of the other's name. It seemed like he was entirely focused on Raihan instead of reaching out for Leon, for once.

Raihan continued his ministrations until he couldn't take it anymore, having to get inside Hop or else his prick would explode. Every sound Hop made shot desire through Raihan until he withdrew his fingers. He pulled down his shorts enough to free his erection, which was considerably larger than Hop's. With a little spit on his fingers, he stroked himself a few times, spreading his precum for extra lubricant and then positioned himself. He leaned down to kiss Hop. 

"Here we go, babe." He eased himself inside with a long, low groan.

Panting heavily as he was finally freed of those fingers, Hop took a moment to collect his bearings. That is until he saw the large erection springing free from Raihan's shorts. His breathing now uneven, his arms weakly pushed at him but he found himself flushing at the kiss regardless. 

"Raihan, please... Don't do-" He was cut off when Raihan pushed himself inside, prompting a _silent scream_ from Hop with his lips parted in the shape of one but hardly any noise came out. Something like a choked whine is what came out instead, eyes shot wide open to the ceiling. It felt as though he was going to be split in two. As much as it hurt, Hop couldn't deny the way pleasure managed to meld with it, creating an odd yet fulfilling feeling behind.

The grip on Hop's thigh might very well leave a bruise. Hop's passage was hot and tight and _fuck_ Raihan thought he might come too soon. He had to stop part way in when the feeling grew too close to a crescendo and he bit the inside of his cheek. He released Hop's wrists and cupped the back of his neck almost tenderly. 

"That's good. That's fucking good." He stared at Hop's face, especially his eyes. His body moved of its own accord, sliding in until he was fully seated. He panted heavily, feeling Hop's passage surround him.

Hop hadn't realized that he was flailing his now-released arms until Raihan took hold of the back of his neck. Tears ran freely down his cheeks as he stared up at the _sick man_ above him. His passage tightened around Raihan the more he moved, even if Hop was now just plopped on the bed. There were moans coming from him, but it was like Raihan was fucking a doll. His eyes drifted over to the wall, the irises appearing dull and shadowed.

What Raihan wouldn't give for Hop to put his arms around him; for his golden eyes to shine with love. But the part of his brain outside of his delusions that was self aware knew that was asking way too much for what he was doing. So, he just started moving, a little roughly, grunting when Hop tightened around him as he thrust deep inside. He grasped Hop's sides as he bucked against him.

Perhaps in another lifetime, he would have had Hop as his beloved. Maybe as his scrawny self, maybe with a muscular physique like Leon's. But it would always be those eyes that pierced Raihan's heart; the way they glowed and brightened with a fierce passion... 

Now, however, Hop stared at the wall, giving the other the satisfaction of moaning and whimpering out what could be thought of as Raihan's name. His cheeks were flushed, and the tears continued to fall. His mind apparently shut down, wanting to think of more pleasant memories. Of... _Lee_.

Raihan was absorbed in Hop's eyes the entire time, imagining a hot body that moved with him and called his name. With Leon in his imagination, he didn't care who was on top, he just wanted the champion's attention, his pleasure, his love. 

"L-Look at me," He murmured, a little desperate.

It didn't seem like Hop heard him. Either that, or he was doing everything he could to ignore him. When Raihan struck at that one spot, however, Hop let out a cry and rolled his head so that he stared right at the other. His eyes were still dull, though. The fiery passion had all but simmered, even if there are flashes of pain and betrayal.

"No, no, come on," Raihan said, through gritted teeth as though in frustration. " _Look_ at me." He wanted to see anger, pleasure, passion, something strong, something blazing. "Hate me. I don't care." He adjusted his angle, trying to hit the sweet spot again.

That finally flickered life in Hop. He arched his back with a loud moan, finding that the pain had all but faded away for this ecstasy. His eyes brightened with fear again. His hands went up to take hold of Raihan's forearms, moaning at every thrust now since his orgasm was approaching quickly. 

"W-Why..?" he whined out, his own cock stiff and leaking precum despite his not wanting it.

When Hop moved, Raihan saw stars. He leaned down, just about laying on top of Hop. His thrusts turned shallow, buried deep inside him. He propped himself up and kissed Hop, slow and deep. Then, his hand closed around Hop's stiffness and he said against Hop's lips, "I can't...have him...but...I can have you."

The kiss wasn't returned, but Hop reacted to his stiff cock being handled by gasping. Groaning at the bliss coming together and further clouding his mind, Hop couldn't believe what he was hearing. Raihan wasn't doing this out of desire or need for the teenager -- no, it's only because Raihan couldn't have Leon, apparently. All because...he couldn't have him. 

So Hop...was literally nothing but an afterthought, it seemed. He had been vulnerable in Raihan's home, and he took advantage of Hop. He was a replacement - someone to have when the best thing wasn't accessible. 

When Hop felt the need to release, he did so with barely a cry. A shudder went through him as he caught his orgasm, eyes appearing distant and lifeless.

Raihan felt piercing despair when Hop's eyes suddenly dulled. No, _no_ , no, he should be smiling up at Raihan, his eyes should be glittering and he should be flushed with post-orgasmic haze. 

Despite these desperate thoughts, Raihan's body demanded release. When Hop clenched around him and his seed splashed over their bellies, that was it. Raihan shoved one hand into Hop's hair and the other intertwined their fingers. With a couple of firm thrusts, he came, holding onto Hop as he rode it out. His entire body shook with the force of it and his groan sounded strangled. 

"Fuck... _fuck_!" 

Finally, the wave of pleasure receded and he was left half on top of Hop, gasping for breath. He pressed a kiss to the side of Hop's face, smelling the sweetness of his hair. Purple hair. _Leon_. "Love you...love you..."

Soft keens escaped passed Hop's lips, breathless as he felt Raihan's seed shooting deep into him. His rapist...having to cum deep in him like this. He moaned when Raihan gave him firm thrusts then he flinched at the kiss on the side of his face. He didn't return the words; instead, Hop slowly closed his eyes, shivering when the warmth soon past to let a bitter cold settle into him. 

He felt nauseous. He felt absolutely _disgusting_ and while he's wanting to take a shower at this moment, his limbs felt like solid cement. Eventually, he blissfully dozed off now that the whole ordeal is over.

Raihan felt the teen go lax underneath him and his breathing slow. Like with Hop, the cold seeped into his sweat-sheened skin when the heat faded. He lifted himself up and withdrew from Hop's body. 

He should have felt fulfilled, ashamed, but he didn't feel anything. Not good or bad, even though there was the looming, terrible knowledge that he'd hurt Hop. It just hadn't hit yet. Once his lust had been sated, it left behind dregs for the rest of him to deal with. 

He righted his shorts and went to the bathroom to dampen a rag. Returning to the bed, he cleaned Hop up, gently dabbing his face where the tears left trails on his face and then wiping up their cum. He pulled the blankets over Hop and sat on the edge of the mattress, watching him. 

It felt as though he should be doing something; stroking Hop's cheek? Kissing his forehead? Maybe in a world where he'd just made love to a consenting Hop. Now it just felt like rubbing salt in the wound. So, he stood up and wandered out of the bedroom, leaving the door unlocked behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I'm posting this story from our RPs, I feel worse and worse about writing Raihan like this. I legit love him and he's a good guy in my other fics, I swear! I want to write some sweet Raihop now to make myself feel better. Hop needs love.


	4. The Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hop goes back to Leon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Nothing graphic, but wounds and noncon are referenced.

Hop was out cold. The emotions and adrenaline in response to what had happened shut him down. He shivered when he felt the damp rag along his skin but thankfully, he didn't attempt to move away. There was a hand-shaped bruise on his thigh, a particularly nasty one above Hop's heart that was turning a deep purple now, and other bite marks along his neck and shoulders. Some of them stung more than others, but they all felt as though there were tiny Nincadas burrowing into his skin; it made his skin crawl.

It wasn't until morning that he woke up with grey light streaming through the windows. His eyes remained dull in hue and light, staring aimlessly at the wall before he slowly sat up. He hissed when pain shot up his spine, his lower half throbbing. There were aches in his most sensitive areas. He took a shuddering breath, clutching his arms. 

He went quiet as he listened for Raihan. He was grateful that he woke up alone, but not knowing where Raihan was right then was unnerving. He mustered up the courage to get out of bed and go to the bathroom attached to the bedroom for a shower.

Under the hot stream, he sat and wrapped his arms around his knees. The water poured over his shoulders and plastered his hair to his head, but he didn't mind. It helped his sore muscles but it did nothing for the soreness on the inside. The feeling of bug Pokemon on and under his skin. When it became too much to bear, he reached for the hotel's cheap soap and a sponge to clean himself off. Again. And again until his skin was red and raw. 

When he couldn't excuse staying in the shower any longer, he climbed out and picked up his clothes from the crumpled pile beside the bed. His Rotom phone blinked up at him worriedly but said nothing. 

It displayed some messages from Leon for him. They were all about wishing him well and saying that he couldn't wait to see Hop. He apologized for not being able to meet up with Hop after the match. The shadow of a smile curled on Hop's lips, though they retained a thin line. A sudden and intense yearning to see his big brother pierced him. He just wanted to be near Leon again, to feel safe.

Steeling himself, he crept into the sitting room. The TV had been shut off. Through the sliding glass door to the balconey, Hop could see Raihan looking out over the city and suppressed a shiver. He was wearing a different set of clothes since he'd left his from the day before on the bedroom floor. There was a twirl of smoke from a cigarette in his hand. It didn't look like he'd slept anywhere in the hotel room all night. If he heard Hop moving around inside, he didn't acknowledge it. 

A bottle of painkillers and a glass of water were on offer on the counter in the kitchenette. There was absolutely nothing barring Hop from leaving. The thought of taking the entire bottle of pills sounded tempting, but Hop simply took a few before heading out the door.

The streets were almost insultingly quiet. Everyone had finished partying after the Championship Cup and were going back to work and school. People paid no attention to him as they passed each other (and why would they recognize him - a challenger who hadn't made it passed the semifinals?) Generic pop music played over loudspeakers over the more commercial streets.

Hop had just survived one of the most dire nights of his young life, but everyone else knew nothing about it. The world kept going, unaware. Hop clutched at his jacket and kept his face down as he walked. He moved robotically towards Leon's flat, too tired to show much emotion. All he wanted was to reach Lee. Whether or not he would tell his brother what Raihan did was up in the air. The words threatened to dry up and crumble into dust.

He just wanted to see Leon, to feel the warmth of his smile and the glitter in his eyes. If telling him the truth about the evening before would result in Leon being disgusted or believing Hop was lying, Hop wouldn't be able to bear it.

His mouth went dry by the time he reached Leon's flat. His nerves made his stomach roil. He opened the door and had to rush to the bathroom where he retched at least twice, anything in his stomach expelling into the toilet.

Leon himself was in the kitchen, answering messages on a tablet with the dishes he used to eat breakfast pushed aside. His hair was tied back in a lazy bun. He blinked when he heard the door open. "Hop?" He'd been expecting to hear word from his brother after he sent messages to his phone, so when he suddenly showed up, Leon was surprised.

Then he heard his little brother dash into the bathroom and the sounds of sickness. He winced and went to stand outside of the door, allowing Hop some privacy. "Hop? You okay? You still feeling bad from yesterday? You could have messaged me, I would have come and picked you up."

Hearing Leon just on the other side of the door brought tears to Hop's eyes. What could he say? _Could_ he even say anything? Stomach acid burned his throat and mouth, causing his eyes to water from the foul taste. He sputtered out what he could, reaching up to flush it before sitting back with a sniff.

The door was unlocked yet Hop made no move to get up and open it. Swallowing the bitterness in his mouth, he started to sob, bringing his knees up as his hands took hold of his head. He wanted so desperately to put his thoughts into words, but he couldn't even whimper out his older brother's name, much less explain what happened at Raihan's.

"Woah, woah, hey...!" At the sound of sobs, Leon's heart sank and he threw open the door before dropping to his knees beside Hop. "Hop, what's wrong? Are you in pain? I can take you to the clinic if you need to go."

He put what he hoped was a comforting hand on Hop's shoulder. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind for their reunion after the championship match. Right after beating Gloria (by the skin of his teeth), the first thing he did was search for Hop. He'd wanted to hug his little brother and bask in the adoration that Hop had in his gaze whenever he looked at Leon. His number one fan.

Now he was confused and worried. Why didn't Raihan text him earlier that morning to tell him Hop was on his way? Why didn't Hop reply to his messages? None of this sat well with him.

The second Leon touched his shoulder, Hop started. He briefly forgotten where he was in the midst of his distress and assumed that he was actually back in Raihan's flat. He yelped and flinched away.

But when he met Leon's golden eyes, Hop immediately jumped on him. His arms flew around Leon's neck as he cried into his broad shoulder, small hands taking hold of Leon's shirt like he believed that his brother would suddenly disappear before him.

Leon was taken aback. First Hop shrank back from him and then he was in Leon's arms, his little body wracked with sobs. The dichotomy threw Leon for a loop, but all he could do was bring his arms up around Hop, rubbing slow circles into his back. "It's okay. I'm here."

As he stared down at Hop, he saw a plethora of marks, all an angry mix of purple and red.

He frowned. Many of the marks on his beck looked suspiciously like bites. Did a Pokemon attack Hop at some point? 

"Hop, what is this? What happened to you? Please, tell me," he said.

Feeling the comforting hand along his back slowly relaxed Hop. He gave little hiccups when the worst of his sobbing subsided. He sniffed as he stared up at Leon's kind face -- he looked so worried that it tugged at Hop's heart. He reached up to rub his tears away, already feeling another wave of nausea.

"Hh... He hurt me, Lee," he finally managed.

The pain and despair in Hop's expression broke Leon's heart. He reached up and cupped the side of Hop's face with a large, warm hand, hoping Hop would see it as a caring gesture instead of an intimate one.

"What? Who hurt you?" If it was a person who hurt his brother...Leon was already bristling with quiet anger. For somebody to reduce Hop to this state, they had to do something vile. 

Hop's breath hitched when he felt the large hand resting along his cheek. So warm - unlike Raihan's - and it wasn't placed upon him with questionable intentions or with the need to control him. 

Raihan's name was on the tip of his tongue... Why couldn't he say it?! 

"He... He kept touching me, even when I wanted to leave. I couldn't... I couldn't fight him off, Lee," he said. A fresh wave of tears threatened to fall and his voice thickened with emotion. "I'm...I'm sorry, I should have been stronger!"

Voice beginning to work, he started to babble on as though desperately trying to come up with an excuse. For being a disgusting piece of filth that couldn't even save himself -- always had to have his older brother come to the rescue. For being so weak that he couldn't defend himself. And now he was unclean and he only had himself to blame.

Leon was battling a million thoughts while trying to sort through what Hop was telling him. There was a horrible implication here that Leon was getting, and if it was true...

He cut Hop off mid-sentence after listening to Hop's babbling for about a minute. "Okay, stop, Hop. Stop talking about yourself like that. I don't care what happens. I don't ever want to hear you saying this shit again. Is that clear?" 

His golden gaze was stern and loving all at the same time. "I happen to know you're far from a piece of filth. I don't give a damn if I have to save you. I'll _always_ come for you, whenever, wherever you are. Got it? I'll beat back a fucking army if it means you'll be safe."

Hop was interrupted in the middle of his deluge, staring up with shock. Leon...wasn't angry with him? Or repulsed at the fact that Hop couldn't fight for himself? "I..." Every word given to him filled his belly with warmth, melting away the block of ice that formed when he kept remembering Raihan's touches and his...his cock being inside him despite Hop's resistance.

He shuddered once, leaning into his brother as he closed his eyes, exhaustion taking a hold of him. Hop gripped at Leon's shirt with a hitched breath. "...Raihan... He....He didn't listen. He kept going," he hiccuped, nuzzling into his big brother.

All the strength drained away from Leon, leaving him numb and blank. The only thing he felt was Hop nuzzling into him like a wounded Pidgey chicklet. "Rai...han..." Impossible. Raihan was his best friend, his brother, his best mate, his ace. Impossible.

And yet. Hop was not the type to lie. His emotions were written on his face for the world to see. He wouldn't play a trick on Leon this terrible. The pain on his face, the sound of his retching...

His eyes dropped to the marks on Hop's neck. There were dull marks like molars and deep welts like puncture marks. Sharp canines - that was why he thought they were from a Pokemon. They were too unnatural to be human. But the shape of the bites was the size of a human mouth.

He'd left his little brother with Raihan. He'd trusted Raihan, who may as well have been a second brother to him. A lead weight sank in his gut. If Raihan had done something to betray that trust...

In Hop's eyes, he was strangely calm, but not in a way that was listless and detached. It was all too focused, rather. He gently pulled Hop away from him so he could look his little brother in the eyes. There was no light in Leon's gaze. His hands took Hop's shoulders in a firm grip.

"You're going to tell me exactly how he touched you. You're not going to leave anything out." Not a suggestion. Not a request.

This is why it had been difficult for Hop to say who had done it. Why would Raihan, the very Champion's best mate and the one who would always be in his selfies, do such a thing? Why would he even do this to another human being? And why would Hop cruelly trick Leon like this? He had been incredibly happy and all over the place when he told Leon that he would watch over the championship match.

Looking at Hop now... His very innocence had been so tarnished that it was blatant for anyone to see. When Leon pulled away to take hold of his shoulders, he quivered in apprehension upon seeing how hardened and shadowy those golden eyes were. He couldn't even say that it was the same as seeing him in an intense match -- it's more like seeing storms swirling in them. A dark edge was layered underneath the concern.

Hop's bottom lip trembled before he lowered his gaze, shrugging off his jacket so he could reach up. The collar of his shirt was pulled down so Leon could see the mark along his chest; the perfect bite mark above his heart. Then, he reached down with shaky hands to unbutton his pants, shoving them down to show the bruise that was partially hidden by his boxers.

Despite the fact that he was nearly undressing in front of his brother, he was rather detached from the situation. After...After what Raihan had done to him, the shock left a fog in his mind. "...He kept going," Hop repeated, nearly monotonous if it weren't for the sad tone.

Leon watched him undress, though he almost grabbed Hop's hands to tell him that he didn't have to do that. Then he saw the bite over Hop's chest, clear and distinct, as though Raihan tried to claim him.

And the bruise on his thigh... where Hop must have been held down. Leon almost touched the bruise, but he didn't want to frighten Hop, so he withdrew.

He kept going. _All the way_. It didn't have to be said. Hop was violated. His baby brother. The one Leon was supposed to protect.

Instead, he left Hop with Raihan

All

Night.

Had Raihan already put his hands on Hop when Leon called?

His hands were suddenly itching for blood. 

_His best mate_

He swiftly smothered the feeling. He couldn't do this in front of Hop. There would be time for that later after he took care of his baby brother.

He took Hop's face in his hands and kissed his forehead with tender care. "This wasn't your fault. You understand that, right?"

Hop didn't feel as violated in the gaze of his brother as he was uncomfortable. Leon needed to see his wounds. He had to realize that his...his best friend was the one who had done this to him. Had it been a random stranger, a thug, Hop wouldn't have any problem in identifying them to Leon.

But it had been Raihan... His brother's friend from childhood. And the reason had been... jealousy, Hop remembered with a frown. Even though Hop never tried to come in between the two of them. 

"...Are you sure?" came his quiet inquiry, the tears finally stopping as he stared up at Leon. That kiss on the forehead was remarkably more pleasant than the kisses given to him by Raihan. "I know that...that he's your friend. I didn't want to stir trouble..."

"I'm sure. This wasn't your fault." He still hadn't released Hop's face. "As for him... don't worry. Your big brother is here now. I failed to protect you..." He swallowed hard as if there was acid in his throat. "But I'm going to make things right."

A red glint flashed in his eyes, one that Hop didn't see.

"But first, I'm going to take care of you," Leon said. "Let's get you into clean clothes. You need water. Are you hungry? I'll get you some food."

Leon thought he failed Hop? Well, that's just not true! How would he have ever known what was happening between Hop and Raihan? He didn't believe that either of them was at fault here but...

His head lowered to mull over what Leon had said. Upon being told about food and other essentials, Hop could have just passed out right then and there. It felt like the exhaustion from earlier still hadn't left him. "...Okay. Thanks, Lee," he said, forcing a small smile to his lips. It took him a moment to get up to his feet, still aching from his lower half.

Leon took his arm before he could get too far. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the clinic?"

Hop swallowed. "I-I'm sure. I'll be fine." 

Leon looked skeptical, but he released Hop's arm. Regardless of his words, Hop couldn't mask the way he limped out of the bathroom ( it took him every ounce of his will to not do so when he was out in public ), opting to go to his room to rest. Hop didn't feel like doing anything else whatsoever so he told Leon that he could make breakfast for him while he went to take another shower and sleep.

Leon tried not to pay attention to the limp too much. If he did, the rage that he was barely keeping a cap on would burst. The flat was eerily silent as Hop took his shower and Leon made some breakfast curry. By the time Hop was done, it was ready and Leon left it on the bed.

"Do you need anything else, Hop?"

Hop obtained some clean clothes, debating on trashing the clothes he'd been wearing at Raihan's. He really didn't want to look at them right then. He would think about it. He shut himself in the bathroom and started a shower. This time, the warm spray of water was a relief. The knots and other tense areas of his body began to loosen. He didn't scrub at himself like he wanted to get rid of a great itch; though some spots were still red and irritated from that morning.

When he exited the shower, he blinked as he heard Leon nearby, seeing him standing at the doorway of his room. Dressed in only a towel, Hop had just about withdrawn as much as he could as he turned towards the bowl of curry. 

The scent tantalized his appetite which Hop hadn't thought would be possible.

"No...Thank you," he answered quietly, quickly going into the room and closing the door.

Leon could see enough of Hop's bare skin to see patches of red irritation. His eyes darkened as Hop walked passed him into his room. Leon clenched his hands into fists. The brightness of innocence was gone from his brother. None of those vile marks belonged on Hop's soft skin. 

He had to be careful thinking about that now. Well, he had always had to be careful, but now even more so; after Raihan. Leon would never frighten Hop with his strange affections, especially now that they might be a reminder of his ordeal.

Leon went to collect some things around the house and then stopped in front of Hop's door. "I'm going out to run an...errand. Will you be okay alone?"

Everything about his brother had diminished in light and energy. It was like every ounce of his spirit was drained away, leaving a shell of Hop's former self. It was utterly bizarre considering he had always been a cheerful young lad with a motor mouth willing to talk someone's ear off and tell stories about his shenanigans in the Wild Area. There was to be none of that right now...

Hop was laying in bed after eating the curry, completely encased in his blankets. He didn't move when he heard Leon's voice. "...Yeah," he called out to him. So long as he knew Leon would return, Hop would be fine.

It was the loss of that chipper side of Hop that affected Leon the most. Would it come back with time? Maybe. Leon hoped so. He didn't want Hop weighed down by this for the rest of his life. Fixing everything was exactly what Leon intended to do.

There was a silence and then he left the flat.


	5. The Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vengeance is taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: explicit violence at the beginning, references to noncon, and paranoid delusions.
> 
> Also THANK YOU to everyone who is reading this. Both of us are SO HAPPY that you are enjoying our witch's brew.

The back of Raihan's head hit the linoleum of the kitchenette with a sickening crack that would have made anyone wince. It was a strike of luck that he wasn't rendered unconscious, though black spots turned into blurs across his vision. He tasted blood in the back of his throat. There were already patches of numbness in his limbs.

But none of the pain - _none of it -_ comparedto the one in his chest.

"L-L-" he couldn't get the name out. It didn't matter anyway. The one above him lowered himself onto his haunches and slapped a hand over his mouth, shoving his head down on the already throbbing, tender spot on the back of Raihan's skull. Tears mingled with the sweat on his face. 

"I don't want to hear shit from you, you bloody arsehole." Most of the looming figure was cast in shadow but for two golden points that seemed to have an unnatural shine. Or maybe that was the concussion making Raihan hallucinate. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? Did you think he wouldn't _tell me_? I know we've been a couple of degenerates before, but...him, Raihan? My little brother? _What the fuck?_ "

Raihan's arm reached up of its own accord, trying to get any part of his attacker he could reach. He wound up getting a fist full of hair. The fingers of his other hand wrapped loosely around the wrist holding down his head.

He idly wondered if anyone was going to call security after hearing the fight through the walls of the hotel room. Then he realized most of them had probably gone home that morning seeing as the Championship Cup was over. It wasn't like he was making a huge effort to fight back anyway.

"Hey, you're awake, right? I have a Chansey egg if you start dying. Imported straight from Kanto for just this sort of occasion." The fingers around Raihan's jaw loosened by a minuscule amount. "I just never dreamed, _ever..._ that I would be using it on _you_ of all people, mate."

Something like grief flashed across those bright eyes.

_Those beautiful, blazing, golden eyes._

~

Hop hadn't moved from his bed. He just couldn't bring himself out of it. It wasn't as though if he left, a monster would snatch him away. Everything in him just felt simultaneously sore and heavy. Dubwool was curled around him protectively. Hop buried his face in his soft wool.

It would take him at least a few hours before he actually got out of bed, deciding to get a glass of water.

He hoped that Leon was alright. He said that he was off running an errand, so Hop hoped he could expect him back soon. But time stretched on until the sun was low in the sky. 

That was when Hop started to grow concerned. He had spent all of his time playing with his Rotom phone and looking through social media. Someone apparently got married, there was an elementary Pokemon tournament planned for a week out... 

Huh, Raihan hadn't made any sort of post since yesterday. The mere mention of him sickened Hop now, but he couldn't help but notice since the guy tended to be a damn hog online. Always vying for attention...as Hop found out the hard way.

The radio silence was unusual and more than one person commented on it wondering what was wrong. Raihan wasn't someone to just go quiet without there being a good explanation.

While he didn't want to be anywhere near Raihan right then, Hop couldn't help but wonder at it. It felt as though a storm was brewing just over the horizon. 

Finally, the front door opened and someone could be heard moving around the apartment. Hop's ears perked up as he slowly climbed out of bed. He was only in his pajamas. He came over to the doorway of the sitting room to peer in. "...Lee?"

Leon was crouched in front of the fireplace. He appeared to be preparing a small fire. He turned to Hop at the sound of his name and stood up. The edge in his gaze from earlier was gone. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Hop almost asked about Raihan, but stopped himself. "I'm...I'm okay." It was true since he wasn't hurting as much now. "...Is everything alright with you?"

"Better now, but don't worry about me. Sorry I was away for so long. Took a bit longer than I expected," Leon said. "No one bothered you, did they?"

It appeared he had changed his outfit at some point. That made Hop curious. "No, no... No one did. Um...Where did you go?"

"Oh, just taking care of some trash." His eyes softened at Hop. "I'm going to make us some curry. You're not sick of curry yet, are you? Anything special you want to be added?"

Trash? For all day until sunset? That was rather odd. Hop then looked over at his brother before smiling, a soft light flickering in his eyes at the mention of curry. "Nah. I love your curry as is... I could never get tired of it."

"Sounds good." Hop's compliment put a smile on his face. The fire in the fireplace had grown sufficient enough for him to toss a small parcel in. Then he headed for the kitchen. "I'll let you know when it's ready."

Hop tilted his head at the sight of the parcel. What was that? Hop gave him a soft smile that he finally didn't have to pretend to wear. Once Leon disappeared into the kitchen, Hop crept to the fireplace. Since the fire was strong, Hop couldn't possibly stick his hand in so he grabbed a poker to move the parcel into view. 

Through the tongues of flame, the paper had burned away. Part of the design on the shirt Leon had worn earlier in the day could be seen, only now it had a large crimson stain.

Despite being right in front of the lit fireplace, Hop could feel ice surging through his blood. Like someone had dumped a bucket of frigid water on his head. He straightened up in fear, breath quivering in response as his eyes remained on the charred parcel.

Did he... No. No, he couldn't have. Why did he have to...

Hop swallowed once before rushing to his room, closing the door. Develop peered up at him curiously. Trembling and clutching his arms, he stared at a random spot on the floor before turning towards his Rotom. He went over to take hold of it, looking through Togetwitter to find Raihan's profile.

The last entry consisted of Raihan talking about the championship match from the day before. More people were tagging him and asking what he thought about the results. He hadn't answered any of them. Normally, he would have made a grand post about it as per the last entry, but there wasn't a lick of activity from the Gym Leader whatsoever. A shiver went through Hop as he remembered the crimson stain on the shirt that was now burning in the fireplace.

There was no way to check. Hop couldn't possibly return back to the hotel to see if Raihan was indeed alright and was simply staying away from the internet because of what happened last night. Putting the Rotom to sleep, Hop listened to the sounds in the kitchen, wondering what he could do in case what he believed to be the worst-case scenario was indeed a reality. Dubwool nudged his hand, asking to be petted.

Leon had the radio going as he worked on dinner. Curry served over rice with little bits of fried Blaziken. Sometimes he hummed along with the music playing. It wasn't too long after that he called out to Hop that their food was ready.

Hop stood at the doorway to the guest room for a moment before getting his feet to move again. The scent of curry made his stomach growl and he was surprised that he wasn't nauseated after what he'd been thinking about. He went over to the table and sat down, waiting for Leon to serve him. Should he ask about Raihan now? Later? Was he...even alive?

Leon set a bowl of curry down in front of Hop before going to get some for himself. When he was seated on the other side of the table, he smiled. "Eat as much as you want."

Hop quietly thanked him as he reached over to take a few bites, making noises of delight at the taste. He knew that Leon's culinary skills in making curry were great as their mum's but considering after what happened, he just wanted to keep his mind busy. When he was halfway done, he lowered his spoon. Licking his lips, he stared at his lap. "Lee?" Hop started with a slow breath. "Are you...gonna go talk to Raihan soon?"

Leon enjoyed Hop's delight over the meal more than the actual curry. It was a relief hearing more life in his voice. Leon would do anything to have that back.

At Hop's question, he raised his eyebrows and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I told you, you don't have to worry about him. I'll take care of everything. I just want you to focus on recovering."

Should Hop mention the parcel in the fireplace, which was no doubt burnt to rid of evidence? Conflict and guilt raged within him. "Right..." He took a few more bites before he placed his spoon down. "I-I'm going to bed. I'm still tired..." He needed to be alone. He had the sickening feeling that Leon had done something horrible and he wanted some space right then.

"Good idea. I'll clean up the dishes. You go get some rest," Leon reassured him.

He made sure to mention that dinner was delicious and then went to his room. He made a point to close the door and lock it, mostly for his own safety as he went over to the bed to cuddle up to Dubwool. Arceus, he shouldn't have told Leon! He should have just said that a thug caught him. If Leon killed Raihan, the consequences would fall on them like a storm. Hop's heart felt like it might tear in two.

As the night wore on, Leon could be heard turning everything off for the night before retiring to his own room.

It was around 1 am when Raihan's Togetwitter finally updated with a short message.

_'Sorry to worry everyone. Lots going on'_

The notification Rotom made alerted Hop. He had been dozing off, but when his Togetwitter app announced that there was a new post, he immediately went to see. Oh..! So, Raihan was actually alive? The message was short with no context and a vague explanation, but it was suitable considering what he did.

Hop wondered if he should message him privately. Contacting Raihan was probably a bad idea on his part, but what was the harm? He just...wanted to make sure. Going into Raihan's DM, it took him longer than he figured to type out one message.

_'Raihan? I was wondering if we can chat for a bit.'_

It was several minutes before he got a reply.

_'Didn't think I'd hear from you again'_

_'How do you feel?'_

Hop knew that he's doing himself a dirty, but he wanted to make sure that all of this didn't escalate into something bigger; something that could effectively ruin all of their lives. He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts as he replied back.

' _Fine. Just resting for now'_

_'I just need to ask you something. Has Leon visited you?'_

_'He was gone all day and I'm worried that he may have done something bad. I don't want him to make things worse...'_

It was even longer before he got a new message.

_'Yeah. He was here'_

_'Don't blame you for telling him. I fucked up'_

Now, that worried Hop. 

He wrote back, _'Did he say anything to you?'_

_'I found something...bad when he came home, and I'm hoping that he hasn't done anything bad himself'_

Nearly ten minutes passed before Raihan replied.

_'I'm surprised he didn't tell you'_

_'He came over here and fucked me up real good. Said a bunch of stuff'_

_'I just woke up an hour ago'_

_'I deserved it'_

Fucked him up? Leon assaulted him then? So badly that it would cause him to burn his clothing simply due to...

No, no, that's impossible! Hop trembled under the blankets as his heartbeat pounded in his ears. Leon wasn't a violent man! In all of his years, Hop would never believe that his older brother was even capable of violence. What did to Raihan that made him go quiet all day?

_'No... No, he shouldn't have done that!'_

_'I don't want him to go out avenging me like this!'_

_'He said that I didn't have to worry about you. That he'll take care of everything'_

Another stretch of silence.

_'You're sweet, Hop. I did all that to you and you don't want me dead'_

_'I'm not supposed to talk to you again. He says he'll chop my dick off and feed it to Charizard'_

_'He hates me now. He should have killed me while he had the chance'_

_'Said the only reason he didn't was that we were best mates all those years'_

Why was Leon like this? Hop didn't want him to behave like that just because... He swallowed nervously, wondering what Leon would done if it been a random stranger that brutalized Hop. Someone that held no attachment to the champion whatsoever... He shut his eyes with a hiccup from an oncoming sob, but he kept it together. He tried to maintain his composure as he typed back.

_'Then, I can't be around Leon.'_

_'I don't want to live with someone like him! I know he probably wouldn't hurt me, but...'_

_'I don't want to live with a potential murderer!_

On the other side of the line, Raihan had collapsed on the couch of his hotel room. The place looked like...well, a murder scene. Some things overturn, blood smeared on the floor and the walls. Leon had stabbed him three times with an ice pick of all things; all in areas where there wasn't anything vital. That was probably the only reason he was still alive. And that was after Leon beat the shit out of him. Whenever Raihan started blacking out, he'd force a bit of Chansey egg down his throat.

Given, Raihan could have put up more of a fight. But when faced with Leon's fury, Raihan had lost all of his strength. That wasn't the way he wanted Leon's hands on him, but it was enthralling all the same. If Leon wanted to tear him apart, Raihan would let him.

_Those flaring eyes._

Now, Raihan found himself in the unique position of having to reassure his victim. He propped himself on one of the couch pillows while Goodra and Flygon patched him up.

_'Calm down. He's not going to hurt you or anyone else'_

_'This is the only time I've ever seen him like that'_

Hop still didn't condone it, though. He sat up, staring down at his Rotom. Leon had every right to be angry with Raihan, but he had done something so heinous that it required having to change clothes and burn the bloody ones he wore. Hop wondered if he could talk to Leon about it without revealing that he had spoken to Raihan at this hour.

Hop felt...rather bad that a friendship had been severed because of him, and that it somehow drove his own brother to commit these acts. He could have just called the authorities or contacted a higher-up about it -- now, Leon himself could be taken in.

_I know he won't hurt me, but...'_

_'I didn't want you to be hurt!'_

Raihan coughed a bit and grunted at the pain.

_'You realize I forced you to sleep with me, right?'_

_'Why are you worried about me?'_

That was the obvious question that anyone would ask of Hop. Raihan has hurt him in the most violating way; betrayed the trust of not only the teen's, but Leon's as well. There was no room for concern or forgiveness from Hop regarding this bastard.

And yet...

Hop remembered how Raihan looked at him during that time. How he viewed the teen like he was prey for a Pokemon in the Wild Area, ready to be torn into shreds for a well-earned meal. A shiver went through him as he remembered Raihan calling him "little Wooloo", and how his icy blue eyes dilated in that unnatural way. His heart drummed loudly for him to hear, feeling heat throughout his body as he struggled to come up with an answer.

That was sick. _Hop_ was sick. Was his body just trying to convince itself that he enjoyed the roughness? Was it trying to soften the blow? If somebody else tried to tell Hop that they felt this way, he would have been alarmed.

_'Because...'_

_'Because I don't advocate for people to take revenge like that.'_

_'And...I don't hate you,'_ he typed.

Arceus, Hop was way too pure for this fucked up world. A headache throbbed behind Raihan's eyes. He would need those painkillers he left out for Hop.

_'If things were different, I'd say you could stay here if you're scared of him'_

Even if his innocence was stolen, Hop's purity remained as he was still his usual self...somewhat. He hadn't gone down the path that Leon went when he learned what happened to his brother. As he looked down at the message, Hop wouldn't say that he was afraid... Just concerned.

_'Only if...'_

He then gasped when he heard a door opening somewhere in the flat. Hop had locked his door so he should be safe. Maybe it was Leon having to use the bathroom or go get a glass of water.

Footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. They passed Hop's room and stopped in the kitchen, where the sound of running water was heard. When the footsteps came back, they stopped in front of Hop's door and then his doorknob tried to turn.

Leon frowned when he found it locked. Why was it locked?

"Hop, are you awake?"

Hop wondered if he should answer him or stay silent to give the illusion that he was asleep. Hop stared down at the messages with Raihan and then put the Rotom asleep as he laid back down in bed. Dubwool snorted in his sleep next to him. Might as well answer if it would calm Leon's worries. "I'm f-fine..!" Hop called out before cursing to himself. "I-I mean, yeah. I am, but I'm going to bed."

"Alright. Why did you lock the door? Are you feeling scared? You know I won't let anyone hurt you. I can come in and sit with you if you want," Leon said.

"Just...wanting time for myself!" Hop explained as he kept himself under the blankets. "Some space, you know? Again, I'm fine! You've done enough for me, Lee. I'll unlock the door after I wake up!"

Leon didn't know if he was entirely convinced. He wanted Hop to feel completely safe and happy in his home. No one would ever be allowed to hurt Hop again.

"Mm, alright. Goodnight, then," Leon said.

"Goodnight!"

Hop swallowed when he heard Leon return back to his room, reaching over for the Rotom to look through the messages again. He wondered if he should have simply accepted Raihan's advances. Raihan wouldn't be in his hotel room hurt, Leon wouldn't be doing the things he shouldn't, and Hop wouldn't be here hurt and confused. He waited at least an hour for Leon to fall asleep before leaving his room.

What was he to do now? The fireplace was not in use, but there was hardly anything left behind for Hop to salvage. He could try to leave to somewhere, but he was afraid that Leon would think that Raihan had a hand in it and... Hop shook his head to clear it and went to the kitchen to get some stuff.

He debated leaving, but where would he go? He obviously can't return to Raihan since he didn't doubt that Leon would attempt to grievously harm the Gym Leader, and he couldn't go back to Postwick since it was definitely a place that Leon would check. Could he go somewhere else? Perhaps to the Wild Area? Of course, there was no way that Leon would let him be alone, especially in such a dangerous area. Maybe...

Thing was, Leon wasn't asleep. He'd stayed up contemplating everything while in his room. He was starting to think he shouldn't have spared Raihan, not when his best mate had betrayed him and was still alive in the city where he might do something else to Hop. Hop was Leon's first priority. Hop had _always_ been his first priority, even during his years in the League.The paranoia that Raihan might somehow come to get Hop again made Leon stay up as though he was keeping watch.

So when he heard someone moving around, his instinct kicked in. Hop had said he was going to sleep. Who the hell was that?! He took up the ice pick he'd used on Raihan and went out to investigate, moving quietly.

When he rounded the door to the kitchen, he didn't expect to see Hop's small form there. He took a deep intake of breath and lowered the hand with the ice pick.

"Hop? What are you doing up?"

Hop gasped when he heard Leon, turning in place to face him. "Lee! D-Don't scare me like that," he sighed out, a hand at his chest before his gold eyes took in the sight of the ice pick. He went stiff, his face blanching as he gestured to it. "What's that for?"

"I thought you were asleep and heard someone moving out here so I thought someone broke in." He stepped closer, lowering the ice pick to his side harmlessly. He smiled at Hop, which softened his features even though his eyes still lacked light. Their intensity hadn't faded one lick.

"Don't worry. This is just for self-defense. A man has the right to defend his castle, doesn't he?" Leon said.

"Oh..." A reasonable thought to have, right? Still, seeing Leon standing there with an ice pick in hand and his eyes a little too dull for Hop's comfort unnerved him to no end. "Yeah... Yeah." Where did Leon even get an ice pick from? If it was for self-defense, Hop couldn't see how it would be incredibly useful against an intruder that might have a Pokemon or a firearm.

"I'm be going back to sleep," Hop explained as he attempted a smile at his brother. "I just needed something to drink. Or something to snack on."

Leon was happy that Hop was at least eating. He had heard other people who went through what Hop did sometimes shut off from the world. He wanted his brother to have as smooth a road to recovery as possible.

"Of course. Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all," he said.

"Alright," Hop nodded at his brother. What he had planned to do was take some food and set out to...somewhere. Where, he was still uncertain, but anywhere's better than with Raihan or with Leon now that he was showcasing such...disturbing signs. "Uh...y-you can go on back to bed, Lee!" He gestured down the hall.

The smile hadn't moved from Leon's face. "Oh, I don't mind sitting up with you a little longer." He emphasized this by settling into a chair at the kitchen table. "These early hours are so quiet. I'll be happy to keep you company."

He leaned back in his chair, draping an arm over the back of it and playing with the pick on the table.

Why wouldn't he stop smiling? Don't get him wrong, Hop enjoyed seeing the bright smiles of his brother; the way they seemed to rival the sun in sheer brightness was a wonder on its own. But now? It was quite unsettling to the point where Hop barely refrained from shivering at the sight of it. Well, now he couldn't possibly stash anything with Leon there.

"...Okay." Hop decided to just get a bottle of water, taking huge gulps of the liquid before he headed back down the hall. "See ya in the morning, Lee," Hop muttered to him. He locked the door to his room behind him.

"Goodnight, Hop.~" He watched Hop leave the kitchen, though he didn't move from his seat. Even after Hop had locked the door, there were no sounds of Leon returning to his room.

Oh Arceus, this was troubling. What happened to Leon? What made him this way? Surely, he wasn't acting like this because of what happened to Hop... No ~~sane~~ human being would resort to violence like that on a whim. Hop took in a breath before he went over to where his bag was. He made sure to collect his phone along with some clothes and money to buy whatever he needed, mainly food.

He returned Dubwool to his Pokeball and called out Corviknight, opening the window to do so. It flew over so he could board it. He patted its neck and told it to take him over to the Wild Area. Was it dangerous to go to that field at night in his condition? Yes, but right then, Hop was out of options. Giving the door one last glance, he closed the window and told Corviknight to whisk him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: @for_gotta (Full handle is GottaSecretForYa)


	6. The Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hop runs into a couple of familiar faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Nothing graphic this time. Implied sibling incest

The Wild Area stretched on in a dark void beneath Hop and Corviknight at that ungodly hour. The moon was only a sliver; maybe if it had been full, they could have made out the shapes of trees and lakes. Here and there on the landscape, the pink pillars of the Dens reached for the sky. The wind was cold, making Hop shiver as he clutched to Corviknight's neck. The thing about having a steel bird was that steel wasn't very good at keeping you warm.

They touched down in a copse of trees in North Lake Miloch. Hop patted Corviknight while it rested on the ground and cooed at him. He set a flashlight on the ground, directing it towards a patch of ground even enough for a tent. With as long as he spent on the vast fields of the Wild Area during the gym challenge, he could set everything up with practiced ease.

He'd stayed in bed and slept so much throughout the day in Leon's apartment, that he didn't feel sleepy, just sore. The worst of the pain in his body had passed with some help with the painkillers, but the activity of putting the camp together was more tiring than it should have been. He let out the rest of his Pokemon to stretch out. It was always comfortable with them when he could lean back on Snorlax's big belly and Dubwool could lounge across his lap. He was much warmer that way.

Thinking back on things, he wondered if he should have used them to fight off Raihan in the hotel that night, then he remembered that Raihan had his elite team instead of the team he used for his gym challenge battles. Both teams were strong and could have wound up destroying not only the room but the entire floor. The last thing Hop would have needed was to add some broken bones or worse to what was already happening.

Those morbid thoughts weren't making him feel any better. Apparently it hadn't stopped Leon from razing the place.

Hop tipped his head back against Snorlax, who let out a deep rumble in his sleep. It was 3 am and Hop wasn't sure if he wanted to light a fire. Perhaps in the morning. Inteleon, Pinchurchin, and Corviknight had come around to join the cuddle pile. There was no way for him to crawl into the tent (and not enough room inside for said cuddle pile) without disturbing all of them and his eyelids were getting heavy, so with a blanket over his lap, he let himself doze off.

Meanwhile, Leon had finally stood from the kitchen table to head back to his bedroom. He paused in front of Hop's door to listen in on him. The silence that met him made him assume Hop had gone to sleep. He smiled to himself and went on to bed.

It wouldn't be the next morning when he tried to ask Hop if he wanted anything special for breakfast when he was perturbed by the silence. He was happy to let Hop sleep in, but he just wanted to see his face, to make sure he was safe.

He called out his Mr. Rime to use his telekinesis to undo the lock. He would relock it for Hop, of course. Leon respected Hop's privacy. But just seeing Hop's face would make him feel so much better about the state of things.

Which was why, when he got into the room and found Hop gone and the window open, he fumbled with his phone and began inundating Hop's phone with texts.

It was when Hop heard the buzzing and ringtone from his phone that he was jarred awake. The sun had risen above the horizon, but there was a fog that hung low over the ground. Was it really morning already?! Had he been that tired? Despite the chill to the air, he was warm buried in his pile of Pokemon.

He reached into his bag to pull his Rotom out, seeing the texts from Leon. To anyone else, they sounded quite concerned, but to Hop...

_'I'm alright. In the Wilds. Just wanted to have some time for myself,"'_ he wrote. ' _I'll be back soon. Don't worry!'_

Getting a text back from Hop was enough to send a debilitating relief through Leon. He was in one piece. He hadn't been...kidnapped and was suffering more assault.

Leon wanted to go and find him but he forced himself to relax. Hop had survived his Pokemon journey fine and that included trekking through the wilds. Leon just needed to let him have time. It was just that his every instinct screamed at him to have Hop here, where Leon could see him, to make sure no one's hands were on him that shouldn't be. He wanted to call Charizard out and fly to his little brother so much that his hands shook with it. If this was how the morning began then the rest of the day would be torture until he got the chance to see Hop again.

_'Call me if you need help. I'm serious, I will come to you no matter what,' Leon wrote._

_'Okay, Lee. I'll be sure to let you know when I'm heading home!'_ Hop replied.

His heart had started pounding while he wrote his messages to Leon and he took a deep breath to calm down. He hadn't been this worked up about anything for a long time apart from the gym challenge, but that was a different form of stress. That was exciting and it sent adrenaline through him until he was vibrating at a standstill with the need to go forward.

The feeling plaguing him now was largely fear-induced. If it didn't hit him at the thought of seeing Raihan again, it was when he remembered the bloody shirt in the fireplace and Leon's nonchalant manner of tossing it in. Getting rid of trash, just like Lee said. No worries about the consequences or what would happen if the authorities were called, just dull eyes, a perpetual smile, and questions about what Hop wanted for dinner.

In the light of morning, with his Pokemon around, Hop could think more clearly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Did he really think that Leon would hurt him when any other memory he had of his big brother included Leon grinning down at him with an air-headed, goofy expression? No...maybe not. But it was hard reconciling that image of Leon with the one that had apparently done enough damage to his former best friend to warrant burning evidence.

As he stared up at the lazy clouds sprawling by, he wondered how he would feel if their positions were reversed. What if someone Hop knew had been assaulted, like Gloria or Vic or Marnie? That thought made him sick to his stomach; he actually felt it roll. He would be angry, he would want to confront the attacker.

That was how Leon felt, right? That must be it. Coping with the gnawing feeling of defenselessness by trying to "make it right," just like Leon said. Hop wasn't as strong or built like his brother, but the urge to retaliate would be there.

The same with his Pokemon; every time he saw them fall in battle, he wanted to protect them and defend them from further harm. It was built into their closeness, the impression that he was their guardian and caregiver just like they were for him at times.

The thirst for justice might take the form of beating the shit out of someone, to give them a taste of the pain they inflicted. It only felt right. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. A fang for a fang.

So if Hop could come to terms with Leon beating the ever-loving daylights out of Raihan for forcing his younger brother into sex, why couldn't he accept the whole thing? What made Hop want to hide from Leon, to the point where he had to message Raihan just to ensure he was still alive?

_Their smiles were a lot alike. Their eyes shone in battle with fire that sparked with confidence, maybe even arrogance. When the battles were over, they came and ate and drank with Hop, throwing their arms around his shoulders and laughing. They called him Hopscotch and ruffled his hair affectionately. Leon pressed a sloppy, drunken kiss to the top of his head and cooed at him like he was an adorable Milcery. He told Hop how fucking proud he was of him. Warmth filled Hop's chest and Raihan gathered the brothers together for a selfie._

Except now Hop knew blood had been on his kind, gentle brother's hands - the same ones that held his face tenderly and kissed Hop's forehead.

Except now when he thought of Raihan, he remembered the hungered, icy eyes of a dragon and hands that shoved his thighs apart.

His throat suddenly pained him and tears pricked at his eyes that he tried to blink away. Just a few days ago, everything had been great and he felt on top of the world. Beside him, Inteleon stirred and threw a slim arm over him, cuddling up to Hop's warmth like the cold-blooded lizard he was.

Underneath them, Snorlax's stomach growled, making the entire cuddle pile reverberate. They should get up and eat. Laying here and feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to help anything. It took some maneuvering, but Hop was finally able to extricate himself from his Pokemon, stand up, and stretch. The air cooled his face and carried the scent of wildflowers and fresh water from the lakes.

The sounds of him pulling out the cooking pot and fire building materials roused his Pokemon, who knew what was coming and were already drooling. Hop made them sour apple curry with one of the five thousand Fancy Apples that he had picked up in the Wilds.

After breakfast, he took them out to the fields to train. They were already out there, so why not? It kept him moving, kept his thoughts from ruminating like curdling milk.

His Rotom sat heavy in his pocket, occasionally chirping at him with notifications. Normally, he would have been glued to the screen like the product of his age that he was, but he seemed to be dutifully avoiding it. 

Halfway through the afternoon, he relented when the vibrations started to get annoying and the Rotom threatened to throw a berry at his head. The majority of the people he knew were still tittering about the results of the Championship Cup. The Champion of Galar still held his title and everyone was going gaga over him (including Hop's mother). Not that Hop was complaining about it. He was still in awe of Leon's skill. 

If he had gone up against Leon in the final battle...would he have ever had a chance? All of his pomp and circumstance aside, could Hop beat the gym leaders and gone up against his big brother? It was what he spent his preteen and teen years imagining, standing on the pitch opposite of Leon while they swapped quips and threw out orders to their Pokemon. 

At the end of the battle, Hop wanted to imagine he would come out as the victor, even if he now knew how slim of a chance that would be. Confetti would flutter onto the field and the loudspeakers would struggle to be heard over the roaring crowd. But Hop would only have eyes for Leon as he raced across the field to be scooped up in Lee's arms and spun around. Leon wouldn't put him down, just pull him close, his face pink and achingly handsome, with tears dotting at the corners of his eyes. 

And then, regardless of the thousands upon tens of thousands of people watching them in the stadium and over the telly, Leon would lift Hop's face and kiss his mouth in a moment of heady thrill...

One of Pinchurchin's spines landed next to him and sent a tingle of electricity up his leg; not enough to hurt, but it startled up. He yelped and jumped back. Pinchurchin immediately scampered over apologetically. Hop reassured it that everything was fine and ignored the way his cheeks were on fire from his thoughts.

That Leon with his gaze shining like pirate's gold, who threw up his hands in the Charizard pose and then lifted up Hop close to his chest was the one Hop loved. The one he...fell in love with. His admiration and hero-worship had turned into a greedy desire for Leon's attention that was unfortunately squelched whenever Leon had to go back to Wyndon and leave Hop behind. Eventually, Hop became aware of the taboo nature of his crush and had to swallow his fantasies down with some bitterness. 

There was no place for him in Leon's life other than being the admiring little brother. Raihan had better chances with Leon than Hop.

Or at least, he had before the night with Hop in his hotel room. 

Unsure of where to take his thoughts after that, Hop opted to set up another camp for the night. He wasn't quite ready to return to Leon's apartment. He just needed another night to breathe, just one more, and then he would return to Leon and reassure him that everything was okay. Maybe Hop could go back to Postwick when all was said and done, far away from the Championship Cup and Raihan and bloody shirts burning in the fireplace.

As the sun was setting, clouds gathered overhead and a breeze picked up, carrying the promise of rain later on. Hop was using charge from Pinchurchin to charge his Rotom and scrolling mindlessly through Cinderacebook (noting with a swallow that Raihan was still uncharacteristically quiet) when suddenly his vision went dark as two warm hands clapped over his eyes from behind. 

He would have laughed and made an indignant noise two days prior, but now, he jumped out of his skin with a cry and scrambled out from underneath them and off the rock he'd perched himself on. 

_A large hand clapped over his mouth to silence him..._

Panting slightly, he whirled around on the spot. Gloria had squealed and staggered back when he pushed away from her.

"G-Gloria?" Hop stammered. One of his hands fell on his chest as though to calm his breathing.

Gloria righted her knit cap on her head and watched Hop puzzled. Victor wasn't far behind her, though he was trying to suppress a snicker. 

"I didn't think it would scare you that much," Gloria said. 

"You should get a Stoutland from Unova," Vic said. "They'd tell you if someone was coming." 

Hop glanced over at where Dubwool was grazing and watching them lazily. Some guard Pokemon...

"What are you guys doing here?" Hop said.

Victor set down his pack and began getting out their tent. Apparently they had wordlessly decided to set up camp next to Hop's for the night. "To train, what else?" he said. "Gloria isn't satisfied with losing to your bro."

Gloria threw her arms around her Centiskorch's head and mock whined into it while stomping her foot. "I was soooo close! I coulda been Champion Glo!"

"No offense," Victor said, casting a look at Hop.

Hop blinked. Having his thoughts derailed so quickly from before had thrown him for a loop. He shook his head to clear it and said, "I saw it. It was intense! I really thought you might be the one to beat him..."

If Gloria had so much trouble with Leon, there was no telling how far Hop would've gotten. It seemed like an impassable dream now. 

He probably wouldn't be swung around the pitch in Leon's arms and kissed anytime soon.

"I have no choice. I have to fight him again," Gloria said, resolutely. "And you and I have to have a rematch, Hop."

"A rematch? Why?" Hop said.

"Um, we're rivals?" Gloria said. "You don't think that just because I beat you in the semifinals we're done battling, do you?" 

To be honest, Hop hadn't thought that far as to what would happen after the gym challenge. He'd only ever focused on the Champion title. Even though Hop never once beat Gloria, she still thought of him as a rival. Victor had lost to Hop all of once way at the beginning of their journey. 

Thinking about that pierced his heart a little, but he stomped the feeling down and grinned. "Of course not! Anytime you're ready to go, it's on." Even though the twins were both obviously way out of his league. 

"Do I have to set up the tent alone?" Victor huffed at his sister. Gloria blew a raspberry and lent him a hand. Centiskorch and Victor's Rillaboom were greeting Hop's Pokemon like old friends. 

Once the twins were finished with their tent, they started making curry. Hop refrained from mentioning that he had basically been eating nothing but curry for the past two days...because he was just fine with that.

When they threw in their berries, Hop found himself smiling an actual, genuine smile. It felt foreign on his face. 

"Hey, where were you after Championship match?" Gloria asked him while she was stretched out on her stomach over the grass with Centiskorch wrapped around her legs. Her eyes were wide and innocent, but the words still made Hop freeze.

"Uh...W-Wha...Well, I..." he said, brilliantly. "Just...around. why do you ask?"

"We didn't see you. I thought you'd be with Leon, but he said he was looking for you too," Gloria said.

"We were just thinking it's not like you to disappear while a match was going on," Victor supplied. He had taken it upon himself to stir the curry.

"I...ah..." Hop trailed off. How could he even _begin_ to explain to these two what happened? "I wasn't feeling well so I left early."

"Really? Awww," Gloria said, pouting. 

"Yeah, wasn't anything serious," Hop said, though he felt a twitch to his smile. No reason to burden the twins with the truth when Hop was trying to figure out the truth himself. 

"You'll have to make it up to Leon. He looked like a kicked Yamper when he said we hadn't seen you," Gloria said. Hop couldn't say for sure, but he thought he saw her wink. Probably a trick of the darkening sky, but heat rose up Hop's neck all the same. 

_His face drawing closer to press his soft, yet chapped lips on Hop's temple. His lightless eyes and smile as he twirled his ice pick on the kitchen table._

_"But first, I'm going to take care of you."_

Hop's breath caught and he had to clear his throat before he spoke. "I-I'm sure I'll think of something."

"Hey, you're coming to the Chairman's Championship Gala, right?" Victor asked him.

Of course, the one that they had every year after the gym challenge to celebrate the League's accomplishment, whether they had a new Champion or the old one still held their title. Hop had nearly forgotten about it. He went to it with his mother every year that Leon was still Champion. There was no reason for this year to be any different. 

Leon would be there...and all the gym leaders. Hop tensed and bit down a curse under his breath. An evening in the same party with Leon and...Raihan. Assuming Raihan was in any shape to attend, that is. The Gala was usually a week after the final match of the gym challenge. Raihan might be able to patch himself up before then.

"I guess so...no reason not to, right?" Hop said, sounding less enthusiastic than what they were probably expecting. "My stuff is still in Wyndon at Leon's place. I can just head over. I don't think they'll care that I didn't pass the semifinals."

"We'd take you as our plus one anyway," Gloria said. "We'll need you to help us get through the party if it gets too boring."

Fat chance of it being boring. Hop shivered.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gloria said. "Are you still sick?"

"If he's sick, why would he come to the Wild Area?" Victor said. "Not exactly a hospital out here."

"No, no, I feel way better now. I'm fine, I promise." He was most certainly _not_ fine, but he just stretched his arms behind his head. "I'd feel better after the curry anyway."

"As long as Vic doesn't burn it," Gloria said, earning her a nudge in the ribs from her twin's boot.

Dinner passed languidly. Once their Pokemon were happy and fed, Hop returned most of them to their Pokeballs. It would have been all of them, but when he offered Inteleon his Pokeball, Inteleon shook his narrow head and indicated Hop's tent. Hop blinked. Usually, Inteleon wasn't one to refuse Hop, but Hop didn't really mind. He would feel better with another body in his tent if the night before was anything to go by.

When the sky was dark and the trees loomed with their rustling branches, Hop, Victor, and Gloria sat around the campfire, illuminated by its orange glow. The twins had marshmallows that they were currently setting on fire. Inteleon lounged on his side behind Hop, stealing a marshmallow from the bag every so often.

Hop found himself staring at the sky. This was nice; calm and domestic. They'd all camped together during the gym challenge from time to time. With all of the stress and drive gone, Hop should've been able to slow down and enjoy himself.

But the grass rubbing against his legs and arms when he laid back brought with it an eerily familiar feeling of bugs crawling on his skin and he rubbed his skin through his clothes. Every time he thought he could relax, his mind was brought back to _that night._

He glanced over at the twins. Gloria had curled up with Centiskorch and was dozing on the ground, much like Hop had done the night before. Victor was on his Rotom, his face soft in the blue glow.

"Hey...Vic?" Hop said, quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

Victor glanced up at him and then back at his phone before putting it to sleep. "Shoot."

Hop worried his bottom lip with his teeth. "If...If two people you thought you knew for most of your life suddenly did some things you didn't expect them to, what would you think?"

Victor scratched his hair underneath his hat and frowned. "That's very vague," he said. "What kind of things did they do?"

"Well...bad things," Hop said.

"It wasn't something we did, was it?" Victor asked. His eyes looked oddly large in the firelight.

"No! Nothing you guys did. This is just a hypothetical situation," Hop said.

"How bad was the thing they did?" Vic said.

Hop paused. "Really bad. Like...really bad. Like, hurting-someone bad."

Victor thought about it and shrugged. "Guess it depends why they did it. If it was to protect someone else, I wouldn't blame them."

"S-So what if they hurt someone out of jealousy?" Hop said, clutching at his arms. "Or they scared you? Would you be able to trust them again?"

Victor gave him a strange look. "Are you sure everything's okay, Hop?"

Hop didn't reply at first. A chill went through him that choked his ability to speak. If ever he wanted to tell anyone about the last few days, the twins would be the ones to confess to. They held each other and Hop up at all costs if one of them fell and Hop wanted to do the same for them.

But the situation with Raihan and Leon felt different...serious and private. Not something to burden them with so soon after their Pokemon journeys had ended.

Besides, if he was wrong and they didn't like what they heard... If they were disgusted by him and thought of him like damaged goods...he couldn't bear it. Telling Leon was one thing. His big brother loved him and telling him what Raihan did to him had been the hardest thing Hop had ever done. Hop didn't have the guts to do it all again. If they weren't disgusted, there might be more retaliation. He would have to relive the fear and pain for them and the authorities.

He would have to tell them that one of Galar's favorite, chill gym leaders was a sexual deviant and their beloved Champion was a potential murderer.

Hop's heart squeezed and he smiled at Victor, his lip trembling. "Yeah, everything's okay. Like I said, it was just a hypothetical question. I was just reading some weird stories on my Rotom."

Victor's frown dropped with relief. "You scared me for a second. Don't get so serious like that..."

"Sorry," Hop said, letting out a chuckle that sounded hollow to his ears.

Victor stood up and went over to Gloria to poke her awake. "If you're gonna sleep, we should go into the tent," he told her.

Gloria whined and tried to wave him off. Victor huffed and made his Rillaboom pick up both Gloria and Centiskorch in one armful before making their way to their tent. It was bigger than Hop's - meant for two or three people.

"I'd better not hear any weird sounds from in there," Hop teased. Because if anyone knew what it was like to have taboo feelings for their siblings, it was the twins.

Victor snickered. "We'll wait until we hear you snoring."

And then Hop was alone with Inteleon in the night. Inteleon put his head on Hop's shoulder and Hop reached up to stroke his snout. "We should go to bed too," Hop said.

He directed Inteleon to put out the fire with a water gun before retreating to his own tent, where he wrapped up both him and Inteleon in a couple of blankets.

He shut his eyes and had just started having those weird, pre-sleep thoughts when he heard his phone go off with a call. The temptation to let it go to voicemail was strong, but he grumbled and asked Rotom to float up so he could see the screen seeing as his arms were in his and Inteleon's cocoon.

Leon. Seeing the name woke Hop up. His stomach sank.

"I'll take the call," he told Rotom. "Hey, Leon."

"Hop? Is everything alright? Are you still in the Wild Area?" Leon spoke a bit quickly, though some relief that Hop had even answered was apparent in his voice.

"Yeah, we're alright," Hop said. "I've got my team with me and I ran into Victor and Gloria out here." He remembered that he had told Leon that he would be home 'soon' without ever specifying what 'soon' was. "I'll head back to your place tomorrow."

"Good, brilliant," Leon said. He let out an exhale on the other side of the line.

"D-Didn't mean to make you worry," Hop said. At least Leon was doting on him rather than caring too little. Despite the nervous thoughts that haunted him for the past day, he had to admit it was nice hearing his big brother's low, smooth voice.

"As long as you're okay," Leon said. "Aside from Victor and Gloria, has anyone else bothered you?"

Hop didn't have to ask to know that he was talking about Raihan.

"No," Hop replied. "But listen...are we going to the Chairman's party next week?"

On the other line, Leon rubbed his fingers over his facial hair. "Oh, yeah. I need to go to that, don't I? I'm still Champion. I have to give the people what they want."

A smile tugged on Hop's lips. "I should probably go too..."

"You don't have to if you don't want," Leon said. "You can go back to Postwick."

What was in Postwick, Hop wondered, idly. He'd be able to crash at home and have the whole house to himself, seeing as their mum and grandparents would go to Wyndon. They would never let him get away with it, though. This was _Leon_ they were talking about. If Hop was lucky, they would focus on Leon and nobody would mention his loss in the semifinals.

"Nah, I'll go. Might be fun," Hop said, without much conviction. "But...do you think...Raihan will be there?"

There was a perturbing silence that did nothing for Hop's nerves. Finally, Leon said, "You won't have to worry about talking to him. I'll stay with you all night."

"O-Okay," Hop whispered.

"If he comes near you..." Leon began but trailed off. There was something calculating about his words like there was a lot he wasn't telling Hop. Hop wasn't sure he wanted to know what.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Hop said. "It's just a party."

"If you're sure, then I'll go along with it," Leon said.

Inteleon gave a long exhale next to him. Hop glanced at him.

"I'm in bed, so I'm gonna go. Don't want to wake anybody up," he told Leon.

"Sounds good. Goodnight, Hop," Leon said. All he'd wanted was to hear Hop's voice for a while. "I love you."

Something thick lodged itself in Hop's throat. "I love you, too, Lee." Once he hung up, he nuzzled into Inteleon and let sleep overtake him before he had the chance to think about anything else.


	7. The Drifblim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When times were good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Do not read if you don't like descriptions of people eating disgusting food or if you have vertigo.
> 
> In fact, you probably shouldn't eat while reading this chapter.

"June 28th, 2010," Raihan read off the stamp on the side of a butter container. The inside had started developing flecks of mold when he peeled off the top. Someone had scraped about half of it out, probably for biscuits or scones, and then set it back in the fridge where it had sat forgotten until that evening.

Leon handed him a butter knife. Raihan took it and used it to scoop out a generous amount of butter from the moldiest spot. Every survival instinct was telling him to throw it away, but he had a bet to win and his pride wouldn't let him back out now. He wasn't about to be bested by his rival by something else other than Pokemon battles.

He reached for a nearby slice of bread, but Leon stopped him. "What are you doing? You can't dilute it. That's cheating. You have to eat it straight."

With a small wince, Raihan let his hand drop back to his side. "That means you do too," he said.

Leon nodded and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I know. I will."

Raihan was trying to put this off. At least the butter didn't smell, though there were probably plenty of gross odors waiting for them. He brought the knife closer to his face and tentatively licked some of the mold. There was the creamy taste of butter - the mold didn't really have a taste, but it had a feel. It tingled strangely on his tongue.

With a glance up at Leon, he quickly popped the glob of butter into his mouth and swallowed it before he could taste any more of the mold. It was disgusting, but he didn't gag. That was a good first step. He covered the butter back up and placed it back on the top shelf.

"Your turn," he said, swallowing the aftertaste.

Leon snorted. "That was nothing. I've got this in the bag." He opened up the cheese drawer and dug around for a moment before pulling out a petrified hunk of Miltank cheese. Half of it had hardened while the side that had a hole torn into it to expose it to the air had some very suspicious fuzzy spots. He couldn't remember when his Mum had bought the cheese, but he was pretty sure it was from a farmer's market in Wedgehurst. The last time they were at that market was two years ago.

He grabbed the same butter knife Raihan had used to carve off a piece the size of his thumbnail with a large fuzzy patch. Without a second thought, he popped it into his mouth and swallowed it like candy.

"Your turn," he said, cheerfully.

Raihan narrowed his eyes at him. Leon wasn't taking this seriously enough, considering what was at stake. He probably expected Raihan to fold. Well, he was going to be very disappointed. He scanned the shelves of the fridge before finally landing on the bottom rack, where a variety of fruits and vegetables were stored. He set aside some of the freshest produce until he found a bag of squishy, brought things that might have been carrots once, going by the orange tinge.

Leon smirked as he straightened up. "Need a spoon?"

"Hell, no," Raihan grumbled. He set the bag on the counter and untwisted the end. The brown, squishy substance squelched around as he opened it up and dipped three fingers inside. The glob he pulled out was cold and slimy. "Good enough?"

Leon inspected his hand and finally nodded. "Good enough."

Raihan stuck his fingers in his mouth and was bombarded by a sickly sweet taste. He held back a cough and swallowed it, unfortunately not without leaving a trail of the slime across the back of his tongue.

"I saw that," Leon said. "You're choking already."

Raihan scoffed and reached up to tie his hair back. This was going to get serious now. "I'm only getting started. Your turn, _champ_."

Leon flipped his short bangs. Mum had made him cut it that week since he had just turned fourteen and she told him he needed to start looking professional. That reminded him... He was pretty sure there was a piece of Hop's birthday cake from two years prior. He fished around behind a pizza box and pulled out the remaining slice of saran-wrapped cake.

"Cake? Are you joking?" Raihan said. "Everyone knows cake doesn't go bad."

"You didn't even see the whole thing," Leon said. He grabbed the butter knife and hacked the rock-hard sponge in half. The inside of the sponge had been hollowed out and baked with something inside of it, but whatever it had been, it was blackened slime now.

Raihan rolled his eyes. "Fine, but you have to eat both pieces," he said.

"You've just been nibbling a tiny amount of everything up until this point," Leon protested.

Raihan had to admit he had a point. Besides, the cake sponge could probably break someone's teeth if they tried to bite straight into it. If Leon's teeth broke, he would probably make Raihan pay for the dental work. "Whatever. Just do it."

Leon scooped all of the black substance out and ate it. He'd been keeping it together flawlessly up until this point, but as soon as his fingers were in his mouth, his eyes widened a tad and Raihan could have sworn he saw Leon shiver.

"You doing alright, mate?" Raihan drawled.

Leon grinned up at him. "Brilliantly, actually." He set the rest of the cake on the counter.

If things continued like this, they were going to be there all night. This was only a weekend trip to Postwick and Raihan didn't want to waste it all in front of a gross fridge. He needed to step things up a notch. He spied a carton of milk behind the others and eyed the date. Eight months ago. Perfect. He pulled it out - going straight for the throat, figuratively and literally.

Leon inspected the date and smirked again. "That's not even that old compared to everything else."

Raihan shook the carton. Something unmistakably solid sloshed around inside. "It's already curdled." He grabbed a glass out of a cupboard and set it on the counter. Tipping the carton up resulted in a very un-milklike mass sloshing toward the lip of the carton. Thick dribbles of milk drained weakly into the glass.

"Blimey..." Leon said. He pulled a pair of scissors out of a drawer and cut the top half of the carton away. The expired milk fell into the glass in one piece. Raihan swallowed when a putrid wave struck his nose. His stomach rolled.

"Give up?" Leon said, though his mouth twitched at the sight of the milk.

"You wish," Raihan said. "We should just drink-" (Was there any "drinking" the milk at that point?) "We should just eat some at the same time."

"In a hurry to lose?" Leon said. He came up with two spoons and handed one to Raihan.

"You're going down, Champ." Raihan scooped up quite a bit of the milk and stepped back to allow Leon to do the same. If he used his imagination, Raihan could convince himself that he was about to eat yogurt (yogurt was curdled milk, right?) That was, until he smelled it. Big mistake. It was like smelling the spoiled wave but condensed down to a point on the spoon. His innards seized in protest. Every primitive instinct of self-preservation was screaming at him to throw the milk away.

Leon's confident facade cracked and Raihan could see the revulsion in his eyes when he smelled his bit too.

Raihan cleared his throat. "On the count of three." Best to get this over with before they could talk themselves out of it. Just think of yogurt.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

It wasn't yogurt. It was _so much worse_ than yogurt. If the odor was bad, the taste was rancid. As soon as it hit Raihan's tongue, he gagged. He almost spat it out but caught himself. If he could just get it down his throat, it would be over. He choked, tears pricking at his eyes. He didn't even have the mind to look over at Leon to see how he was faring.

Forcing himself to try and swallow it only made it worse. His body had finally had enough of this bullshit and he gagged. He clapped a hand over his mouth as his stomach convulsed. He was going to be sick. Any hope he had that he could ignore it and keep it down was gone. The very act of gagging made him gag. He dashed over to the kitchen's sink.

"Hah!" he heard Leon say somewhere behind him. "Y-You owe me a Full Rest-" He choked on the word as he threw his own hand over his mouth, his eyes as wide as tea saucers. He staggered over to the side door and wrenched it open before shoving his upper body over the bushes.

Once he was done, Raihan gasped for breath. Tears ran down his face. He turned the tap on so he could wipe the mess off his face.

"You were saying?" He said, proud of the fact that his voice only wavered just slightly.

Leon looked pale. He made a face at Raihan. "I meant it. I'm still the winner. We said whoever threw up _first_ was the loser."

"That's not fair!" Raihan said. Except Leon was right and Raihan knew it. Those were the terms of the bet. Whoever threw up first in the game of endurance had to buy the other a Full Restore since they didn't come cheap. He grabbed a paper towel and straightened up while he dried off. "Oh, bugger..."

"What are you doing?" Little Hop stood in the door to the kitchen, dressed in pajamas and holding a Charmeleon plush under his arm. Since he was only six, Raihan and Leon had been tasked with babysitting him for the evening since Leon and Hop's Mum went to Motostoke for the evening (reluctantly, mind you. She went out lamenting that she was going to miss valuable time with Leon during one of his uncommon visits).

Leon glanced over at him. "Nothing. Go back to bed."

Hop yawned. "I came down for water."

Considering Raihan was still washing out the sink, Leon grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and handed it to Hop. It was probably the freshest thing in there.

Hop took it, but then held it back up towards Leon. "Open it for me, please?" So polite for a six-year-old.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Leon said. He helped Hop with anything without a second thought. Most other siblings Raihan knew would have teased their little brothers. Leon twisted the cap open and passed it back.

Hop smiled at him over another yawn. "Thanks, Lee."

"No problem, kiddo," Leon said, ruffling Hop's hair. "Go back to bed."

But Hop stayed a moment longer. "Are you sick?" he asked.

Raihan couldn't help but snicker at that. He poured himself a glass of water and downed it while leaning back against the counter. Leon followed up after him.

"Nah, we're not sick," Leon said. "Rai's just daft."

"You're dafter," Raihan said.

"Is that even a word?"

"It is now."

Hop giggled at the exchange. It sounded like a little bell. Leon turned to him and began ushering him from the kitchen.

"Come on, off to bed with you. Mum will get mad if she finds out you're awake at this time," he said.

"But I wanna stay up longer," Hop protested, putting a little whine into his voice.

"You can when you're older," Leon said. "You still need sleep to develop brain cells and all that. You want to be smarter than us, don't you?"

"Smarter than _you_?" Hop said, incredulously.

Their voices faded as they climbed the stairs and went to Hop's bedroom. Raihan finished his water and then wandered to the sitting room. 

A large display case had been set up for Leon's recent trophies. The Champion's Cup stood tall and proud, flanked by smaller trophies from national tournaments. All first place. Raihan had the second place equivalents in his parents' home in Hammerlocke.

Charizard was curled up with the family's Purrloin on a large Pokemon bed in the middle of the floor. Most people were astounded that to hear that Leon had raised a Charmander into a Charizard by age fourteen, let alone age ten when he won the Championship. Raihan was constantly stuck in a tug-of-war between envy and admiration. He chugged the rest of his water as though trying to drown out his thoughts.

He heard footfalls coming back down the stairs. Before Leon could go back into the kitchen, he said, "Kid's cute."

Leon laughed through his nose and flopped down on the couch. Charizard gave him a glance to acknowledge his presence before tucking his head and long neck further into the bed and sighing.

"He wants to watch us battle tomorrow," Leon said. "He doesn't get to see many fights out here other than on TV."

Raihan shrugged. "Fine with me." He was always ready to tangle with Leon.

"No Dynamaxing around here, I'm afraid," Leon said.

"Then I'll beat you the old fashioned way," Raihan replied.

Leon scoffed. "Good luck. I don't lose battles." He stretched out his tanned legs in front of him. It was in the middle of summer and he was just wearing shorts. It was weird seeing him out of the Champion's Uniform. Not that Raihan was complaining. Without the leggings on, he could see all of Leon's tanned legs. Leon was taller than Raihan for a little while in their preteens, but since the gym challenge ended, Raihan overtook him by some centimeters with no signs of stopping. That didn't make Leon any less comely. He was starting to flesh out and get muscles that he didn't have during his gym challenge (Raihan should know, that was when he started looking). There was still some baby fat on his face, but his jawline and cheekbones were getting stronger.

It didn't help that Leon chose that moment to close his eyes and tip his head back on the couch, affording Raihan a better look at his neck. Heat rose to his ears and he raised his glass to get a drink but remembered it was empty. He strode from the room and back in the kitchen to leave the glass in the dish rack. When he returned, Leon had shut his eyes.

"Hey, champ?" Raihan said, softly. When Leon didn't stir, Raihan figured he must have dozed off. He tried again, a little louder, testing, "Leon?"

No acknowledgment. Just like Leon to pass out in such a short time. It wasn't all his fault, though. His championship duties probably wore him ragged. Leon was just a teenager and he was expected to juggle remote studies, interviews, photoshoots, and then after all that he trained and battled his Pokemon.

Raihan only had a fraction of that to deal with and even then he was wiped out at the end of a week. The gym leader of the dragon-type gym had been in contact with him about a possible internship as Raihan's proficiency with dragon Pokemon had been noticed.

But he wasn't the champion. He'd been so close, but no dice. Even if Raihan had a couple of years over him, Leon chiseled out space for himself in the League and sat comfortably at the top. Raihan had to admit he was good; really good. It was the thought of bringing Leon down that drove him on. Each failure only added another rock to the mountain that would one day tumble.

Leon's face was soft in sleep. Raihan found himself approaching until he was standing directly beside the couch, peering down at him. His chest fluttered and he gulped. With trembling fingers, he reached out and brushed Leon's cheek. There was a deeper exhale of breath, but otherwise no reaction, so Raihan slid his hand across Leon's jaw and down his neck.

Legends, but his skin was warm and soft and Raihan had been longing to touch him like this for so long. He wanted so badly to press his lips where his fingers were, but he would die if it woke Leon.

All those romance movies encouraged you to confess your feelings. That was easier said than done. Raihan and Leon were supposed to be rivals, but even if they weren't, it would still seem like an impossible task. Leon sat on the pedestal of Galar, high and untouchable. Plus, Raihan was pretty sure he might have a thing for Sonia, which made his heart clench with jealousy.

He swallowed as if he still had the unpleasant taste of puke in his mouth and then pulled his hand back. Leon murmured something unintelligible in his sleep. In the middle of the floor, Charizard stirred, lifting himself up and stretching his legs and long neck. Purrloin made a sound and then curled back up when the larger, warm body was removed.

Charizard crawled over and took the ankle of Leon's jeans in his teeth so he could tug him awake.

Raihan flicked Leon's cheek, making Leon start awake with a yelp. "Your Pokemon wants to go to bed."

Leon yawned. "You're a real wanker, you know that?" He stood up. "Mum's made up the guest bedroom for you."

Raihan shrugged. "Sounds fine by me."

Charizard huffed at Leon. "Alright, alright, I'm going," Leon said. "Night, Rai."

"Night." Raihan stayed in the sitting room for a bit, listening to Leon and Charizard climb the stairs to his room. Then all was quiet in the Champion's house.

In the morning, Hop followed after Raihan and Leon into their usual hang out on the outskirts of Postwick. Charizard and Duraludon looked a little out of place against the backdrop of rolling hills and pastures. Hop perched on a wooden stake of a nearby fence so he could see all of their makeshift arena.

"Go, Lee!" he shouted to them. "You can do it!"

Leon's chest puffed out a tad and he beamed at Hop. "Thanks, little bro!" He turned back to Raihan. "Gotta give the fan what he wants."

Hop giggled and Raihan scoffed. "Of course, _he's_ going to cheer for you _._ He's your brother! Come on, let's get this show on the road.

The downside to pitting Duraludon against Charizard was the type disadvantage, but Raihan was nothing if not stubborn. It was a challenge to him. It also helped that he taught Duraludon rock moves with some TR's, so he had a little edge. Both Pokemon were fast and the battle got intense very quickly. Hop sat in absolute awe of the display. He only ever got to see Charizard do his thing on television. In real life, he could feel the heat from flamethrower and feel the vibrations on the ground of Duraludon hurling its rocks.

It was so mesmerizing that Hop didn't notice another presence drifting over to him slowly until it was right next to him. The main body of the Pokemon was purple with a white puff on its head and four arms swinging underneath it. Where its mouth should be, there were two bandages. Its red, beady eyes were watching him quietly. Hop had grown up around Pokemon and loved them; he was fascinated by them. And this was a Pokemon he'd never seen before. But it was bulbous like a balloon and it drifted off the ground, so he smiled up at it.

The new Pokemon didn't seem at all deterred by the battle going on nearby. In fact, it seemed to have approached Hop specifically because he was by himself. In Hop's mind, it was a new friend who wanted to keep him company.

As if to emphasize this, the Pokemon removed the bandages on its 'face' and let a stream of bubbles in front of Hop. He laughed and popped a couple of the biggest ones. It replaced the bandages and held one of its pale, arm-like appendages towards him, as though inviting him to take it in his hand. He peered at the hand and then up at the innocent face. Pokemon never attacked humans, right? So it would be okay, especially with Leon and Raihan nearby.

His small fingers closed around the appendage. The other three arms gently came up to wind around Hop's body like a hug. It made him giggled. Leon would be so jealous when Hop told him he found a new Pokemon, he just knew it. The Pokemon then began to lift him off of the fence - just like a carnival ride.

Of course, while Hop had believed it to be a friend, the minute it began to lift him higher into the air until he could see the tops of the trees of the Slumbering Weald, his entire mood changed. He began to wail as the Pokemon took him away. He wasn't strong enough to free himself from its clutches, and with them climbing higher into the air, he could very well fall to his death if its grip ever loosened. "Leeeeee!!" Hop had cried out with tears falling down his round cheeks.

Leon heard the screaming and turned in confusion when Hop's voice sounded further off than it should have been. When he saw Hop was gone from the fence, he whirled on the spot, his heart dropping. Raihan took a moment longer to realize what was going on, but he called Duraludon off of the battle. Then they heard another scream above him and peered upwards. There, silhouetted against the clouds was Hop being hoisted away by what looked to be a balloon.

"What the- Hop!" He called Charizard over and clambered onto his back so they could take off after them. As Charizard rose rapidly, the shape of the Drifblim carrying Hop solidified. Leon had heard the stories of Drifloons and Drifblims congregating around the Slumbering Weald, but since he was away so often, he didn't really give the Pokemon too much thought. There were too few sightings to really be sure. It was said that Drifblims would lure in people and Pokemon with their harmless, friendly appearance and then pick them up, whisking them away to suffer a fate unknown. That's what caught many people off guard.

That knowledge made Leon spur Charizard on even more. They had to get to Hop before the Drifblim hit the low hanging clouds and it would be harder to spot them. If they didn't and Hop disappeared into oblivion, Leon would be sick. It felt like his stomach had been left on the ground.

"Hop! We're coming!" When they were close enough for Leon to hear Hop screaming for him, he had Charizard let out a flamethrower. The Drifblim was hit and lurched, but it kept Hop in its clutches. It turned to watch Leon and Charizard fly around it. It brought up an appendage to try slapping them away but Charizard was a champion and avoided the attacks easily.

With another flamethrower, the puff on the top of the Driflblim's head and half of its face was charred. Its red eyes went dark from the pain and its tendrils released Hop.

He plummeted towards the ground. His scream pierced the clouds.

Leon's blood ran cold. His mind screamed at him to move but his body froze. He was losing valuable time, but the sight of Hop falling hit him like a kick in the gut. Time had both frozen and sped up. The shape of Hop's body shrank as he fell away. Luckily, Charizard was cognizant enough to dive straight for Hop.

Finally, Leon's arms obeyed him enough to reach out and grab him. Hop's small hands had been outstretched towards him. He hit Leon with a thump that nearly knocked the air out of his belly. Charizard came out of the dive, twisting his neck around to check on his trainer and Hop.

Leon clutched his kid brother to his chest, shaking. "I'm here. I-I've got you, Hop," he said, breathlessly.

Hop's scream upon being released rang in Leon's head long after they had landed. Leon was breathing heavy and trembling when Raihan ran over and helped him onto unsteady feet. His heart pounded in his ears, but he had Hop. He held onto him desperately as if to prove it wasn't a dream.

Hop was still sobbing with his little arms tight around Leon. "Lee!" His cries had been reduced to nothing but his brother's name, his tiny form snuggled up to him.

"I've gotta get him home," Leon managed.

Raihan nodded and walked with the both of them back to the house. Both of the brothers didn't appear to want to let each other go anytime soon. Having no blood siblings himself, Raihan bit his lip. He liked to think that Leon and Hop were like brothers to him, all the same. He didn't want any harm to come to the little tyke.

Meanwhile, Leon was having a mental breakdown.

He could have lost Hop.

He wouldn't have a brother anymore had he hesitated a second longer or lost sight of him in the clouds.

Hop did not want to let go of his brother in fear of being taken away again. Not even their mother could pry them apart after she heard what happened. Leon was all too willing to have Hop cling to him, feeling the light, rapid heartbeat that reminded him that Hop was actually there and safe. They'd come so close to being separated forever. It didn't seem real. He just hugged Hop to him all the while.

It took hours until Hop finally calmed down. He would sniff and whimper at times, sitting on Leon's lap. Hop would then give the teen a cute, wet kiss on the cheek, his smile still bright and loving even when his cheeks are wet with tears. "You kept your promise, Lee! You came to save me!"

Leon wasn't even paying attention to the passage of time. He peered down with misty eyes at the kiss on his cheek. He smiled with gratitude and relief when he saw Hop's expression. "I told you I would. I always will, no matter what."

They would grow even closer after that. Hop's near-worship of his brother strengthened as Leon had rescued him from an unknown yet frightening fate. He would never want to leave Leon's side and while he cried when Leon had to go for an important match or job, he still remained patient for his brother. His hero. Hop was always certain that Leon would return to see him.

Later that night, Leon sat on the floor of his bedroom with his back to his bed and Charizard's head cradled in his lap. His brain kept repeating the seconds after the Drifblim let go of Hop. Leon had frozen; he lost precious time when he should have been in control. If the Drifblim was successful in taking Hop away or Hop had...hit the ground...it would have been _Leon's fault._ How shameful for the Champion of Galar to lose himself.

He made a silent, solemn vow that night that no one (and _no thing)_ would ever hurt Hop or take him away from Leon again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incidentally, neither of the brothers like Drifblims much after that.


	8. The Gala

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a brilliant time to party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Some underage drinking.

It was agreed that since Hop would be among those attending the Chairman's Gala at the end of the week, he would just stay at Leon's apartment until then. There was no reason to refuse. Their mother thought it would be lovely for the brothers to have some quality time together and she would join them at the party.

Hop bade Victor and Gloria goodbye and returned to civilization from the Wild Area the morning after their camp out. They made him promise not to weasel out of the gala just because he may have been embarrassed at his loss. Also, Bede was probably going to be there, so Hop really couldn't chicken out and let him get another win. The thought of seeing Bede again and having him sneer down at Hop from his lofty position as a gym leader made Hop want to rip his hair out, but the twins promised that if he got too unbearable, they had a trick up their sleeves to knock him down a couple of notches. They wouldn't elaborate on it when Hop tried to get them to say what it was they were planning.

Leon was gone by the time he arrived back at the apartment. He had interviews and other work to do as the defending champion, after all. But he had given Hop a key to use to get in and out at his leisure. He dropped his camping equipment in the guest room and took a hot shower that steamed the tension out of his shoulders. While there, he rubbed at his face with his hands. He could keep it all together, he told himself. Yeah, shit had gone down recently, but he was still breathing. He could go back to Postwick once all of this was over and relax for a while before...figuring out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Did he want to try the Gym Challenge again? Sure, some challengers tried multiple times if they really wanted to have another go at becoming the champ, but after having his dreams deflated so soundly and having two of his personal relationships be turned on their heads, he didn't know if trying to beat both Gloria and his brother was really the be all to end all that he had once thought it was.

Honestly, he just wanted to get out of Galar for a while, if he was true to himself; to get away from everything and see the world. Mum probably wouldn't mind. Their father had done a lot of backpacking when he was Hop's age. Maybe it would be refreshing to see another country, catch some new Pokemon, try to sneak them into Galar despite the ban on some species. He'd be able to brag about it to the twins when he showed up with a shiny Tauros or something.

The thought made a wistful smile appear on his lips. It was worth a shot. What did he have to lose, honestly?

By the time Leon arrived back at home, Hop had already made himself busy doing some research on what it would take to get a Passport while he was still underage. The sound of the front door opening and closing made his heart leap, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. Everything was fine. It was just Leon and Leon hadn't done anything to hurt him. In fact, when Hop opened the door to his room and hesitantly peered out down the hall, it was Charizard who spotted him and came over to sniff at the campfire smell on his jacket.

Hop chuckled and rubbed his neck, making him thrum. "Sorry, don't have any treats for you." Charizard peered up at him reproachfully.

"Oh good, you're here, Hop," he heard Leon say from the other room. Charizard took his sleeve between his teeth and made to lead him into the living room. Hop assured him he was coming and followed him in. Leon was in the process of taking off his cape and throwing it over the back of one of the sofa chairs where it kicked up a billow of dust. He peered up at Hop and smiled. The first thing that he caught was the sparkle of light that had returned to Leon's eyes as if nothing over the past few days had ever happened. "There you are. Have fun in the Wilds? Catch anything nice?" He drew Hop into a one-armed hug.

"Ah, nothing big, just a Kramorant," Hop said, picking the Pokeball off of his belt. "It up-chucked a Wishiwashi at my head, but Dubwool caught it." From his bedroom, Dubwool gave a bleat of pride that made Leon chuckle.

"I'm glad someone could look after you," he said. Then he lowered his voice, leaning closer a bit. "And...how do you feel?"

He didn't have to explain for Hop to know what it was he was referring to. He cleared his throat and looked away with a tiny shrug. "B-Better. Not as sore. Been taking some stuff for it."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leon give him a gentle smile. "Good. I'm glad to hear it." As he drew away, Hop felt fingers brush lightly through his hair. He straightened up and went over to the kitchen to poke through the cupboards. "I'm going to get a suit tomorrow evening for the gala. If you'd like, you can come with me. We'll get you something new."

Hop peered in at him. "Y-You don't have to do that. I'm sure I can pick up some dress clothes from Postwick before then."

"Bah, you were a semi-finalist in the challenge! You deserve something nice," Leon said. He put a pot of water to boil and began chopping vegetables. Charizard was trying and failing to be sneaky as he swiped scraps. He was a big fire-lizard, but an omnivore nonetheless. Leon was more or less ignoring him.

"I mean...I guess, but I doubt anyone is going to remember that," Hop said. "Unless they're comparing me to you, anyway." He sighed and sank down into a high-legged stool at the kitchen's bar. He was navigating around his phone aimlessly, but he couldn't help but notice that Leon went quiet for a moment. The sound of the knife on the cutting board even paused.

When it resumed, Leon said, nonchalantly, "Well, then they hardly deserve your time, do they?" The sound of choppings scraped off into the pot could be heard. "Come on, it'll be my treat. There's no need for you to make a big trip back home."

Hop felt his face redden and was glad Leon wasn't turned around to see it. He opened his mouth to argue, to say that Leon didn't need to dote over him like a kid, but the intrusive thought occurred to him that he probably shouldn't argue with his brother while he wielded a sharpened vegetable knife in his hand. He shook himself out of the thought. For Krabby's sake, it wasn't like Leon was going to stab him if they got into an argument over buying Hop a _suit_. Hop was just jumpy and irrational.

"I guess so," he muttered.

He heard a smile in Leon's voice. "We can choose matching ties. We'll look sharp together."

"Now you're just having too much fun," Hop said, though he couldn't hide a chuckle.

Finally, Leon looked over his shoulder at him. "This is a special occasion! Before, you just attended as my family, but this year, you were a _challenger_. What if I want to show you off?"

Hop's flush deepened. "I don't make for an impressive trophy."

"Shh, stop talking like that," Leon said. "You beat all eight gyms and beat almost all of the other challengers. The only thing stopping you from getting to me was Gloria. I'm still proud of you, no matter what you think."

Hop didn't reply, but his shoulders sank. Try as he might, he couldn't come up with an argument to that and found that he really didn't want to. He just stared at his phone's wallpaper, which was a picture of him tying a new friendship bracelet on Dubwool's leg soon after he had evolved from a Wooloo.

He thought for a moment, turning something over in his mind as he worried at his lip. Should he tell his big brother about his idea of leaving Galar for a little while? Common sense would say it was fine. "Ah, Lee?"

Without looking over at him, Leon said, "Mm? What is it?"

Hop's eyes wandered over to where Charizard was trying to be subtle about getting into the treat cupboard. Now that he'd initiated the conversation, something was holding him back. Things were a bit complicated at that moment with the Gala and the Championship Cup just ending and...everything with Raihan. He feared the idea of leaving might seem like a knee-jerk reaction, like escaping responsibility or something.

"N-Nevermind. Don't worry about it," Hop said, fidgeting with his phone on the table.

"You sure? What's the matter? Purrloin got your tongue?" Leon teased.

"Yeah, it's nothing important," Hop said.

Leon set the stew to simmer and then ruffled Hop's hair. "If you say so, Hopscotch."

The nickname would have normally made him chuckle. Not too long ago, it was a nostalgic term of endearment. But then he remembered the way Raihan spat it at him while he bore down on him in the hotel room and he felt the color drain from his face. Fortunately (or maybe, unfortunately), Leon had passed by him at that point and didn't see the effect the name had on Hop.

He took a breath and let himself down from the high chair to retreat to his bedroom until dinner was ready.

~

The suits that they chose were a couple of deep, navy blue numbers with matching silver ties. Leon always looked good when he dressed up like this. Hop had known that for years, ever since he first started getting butterflies in his stomach at the thought of his handsome older brother. He had the habit of tying his hair in fancy settings so that it rested over his shoulder with a small length of ribbon.

When Hop saw him in the boutique, he couldn't help the familiar warmth that sparked in his lower belly. Odd how after everything that happened, his attraction hadn't faded. It had survived the overtones of fear and uncertainty.

He remembered what he had been thinking during his time with Raihan - about how Leon's lips might feel, about how he might handle Hop gently, taking the time to prepare him and kiss him open instead of using force. The memory made him shiver and look away shyly. He wasn't sure if he would be able to handle it if Leon touched him that way for real, but while it still dwelled in his imagination, he had some control over the scenario. It was nice that way.

He found himself drifting off while he was supposed to be doing up his tie in front of the mirror. Suddenly he felt a pair of large, warm hands settle over his own and his heart leaped into his throat. He cast a quick glance upwards to see Leon's face was closer than he expected, making him give a tiny gasp.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," Leon said, smiling. "Do you need help?"

"N-No, I've got it," Hop said. "Just got distracted.

"Seems like your mind is a million miles away from here," Leon said. "Once we're done here, we can go home and get some rest."

Hop nodded and felt his cheeks go pink at the way Leon's hands slid off of his own. As if he had any right to be thinking this way. Even if Raihan had never touched him, he would never be able to be with Leon in any sort of romantic sense. They were brothers and Galar had laws against shagging your relations.

And with _that_ lovely thought knocking about his head, he waited until Leon and the attendant were done cooing over how good he looked in his suit before everything was paid for and the brothers could return home.

The evening of the gala, they called a Corvicab to head over to the Rose of the Rhondlands, which looked like a palace at dusk with golden light streaming out of its windows and the shine from its towers glimmering over the river. It was like a jewel that sparkled in Wyndon's west side while the Pokemon stadium glowed in the east. Under different circumstances, Hop would have been dazzled by the sight and taken pictures even if they were blurry later. But he kept his hands clenched together and his eyes cast down to the floor of the Corvicab. When he did glance up, his eyes followed the line of windows near the clock tower. Which room had it been, he wondered. He didn't have the chance to get a good look around when he was with Raihan. All he knew was that the suite had a balcony.

Suppressing a shiver, he stared at his hands. There was a tension in his body that wouldn't let up no matter how much he wanted it to.

One of Leon's hands settled over the top of his clasped grip. "Hop...I'm right here."

Hop gulped. He didn't really have the courage to look up at Leon or speak to him right then, so he just nodded.

"We'll get you some food. You can eat something other than curry for once," Leon said, chuckling.

"If all they have is caviar, I'll stick to the curry," Hop said. The line was supposed to be a tease, but there wasn't much energy to it. Hop couldn't muster the enthusiasm for it.

"You've always enjoyed it here," Leon said. "When you're a little older, we can have drinks together. It'll loosen you up."

Leon would probably need a new drinking buddy, considering he'd lost his old one. Maybe he could nab Piers in the meantime.

"Can't wait," Hop said. They were touching down on one of the Corvicab spaces in front of the hotel.

There was a small crowd gathered around the entrance, including a couple of reporters covering the events. As Leon climbed out of the cab, he told Hop, "You don't have to talk to them if you don't want to. I'll handle it." Of course, when Galar's beloved defending Champion emerged, people took notice. A reporter could be heard talking excitedly about his arrival and a couple of distinguished-looking guests dressed in suits and dresses more expensive than Hop's entire wardrobe put together tried to greet him.

Leon gave them a nod of acknowledgment before turning back to offer his hand to help Hop out of the cab. Hop's face heated with embarrassment, but he put on a little half-smile for the cameras and took his brother's hand. It felt a bit like he was Leon's date, a thought that did nothing for the pink tint to his cheeks. He was used to being ogled at as one of the gym challengers; Hop actually _had_ fans who cheered him on at the stadiums. But his following was nothing compared to the size and enthusiasm of Leon's.

As a handful of them snapped pictures, Leon kept his arm around Hop's shoulders. Hop just smiled for them and threw up a peace sign. As promised, Leon placated them with a few words before they were ushered inside of the hotel lobby by someone in a red and gold uniform. The Chairman's galas were usually held in the grand ballroom, which was located at the end of a hall off of the lobby. With the way the other guests were milling around and talking, they formed an intuitive pathway toward and down the hall.

Hop recognized a few corporate sponsors of Leon's who stopped him to have a few words. While he was busy, Hop found his eyes wandering. No sign of the twins or their mum yet, but knowing those two, they'd made a beeline straight for the buffet inside the ballroom. He paused when his gaze fell on Nessa and Milo (dressed in a floor-length, teal satin gown and a white tux, respectively). In a place already filled to the brim with beautiful people who may as well have been models, they were stunning.

There was a pain in his chest when suddenly he realized that if those two were there, the other gym leaders would be at the gala too. Of course, he had known that fact going into this, but it was different now that he was actually there in person. Hop's gaze flitted around the room as a couple of beads of sweat crept down the back of his neck. Was _he_ already here, then?

Absentmindedly, he gripped Leon's sleeve, not really caring if he looked like a nervous child, right then. His heart pounded unpleasantly and he felt exposed, standing in the huge lobby with its shining floors and high ceiling. He caught Leon glancing down at him out of the corner of his eye, but before he could say anything, he heard Nessa's voice from nearby say, "Well, don't you look like proper gents this evening."

Up close, she was even more gorgeous with the blue accents in her makeup and her arm linked with Milo's. They must have come together.

Leon smiled at her. "I wanted Hop to finally experience what it's like to be fawned over by the press and his fans after all these years. He thought he could escape them." Even when Hop scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, Leon continued, "And speak for yourselves. Don't you both look right perfect?"

Milo blushed and reached up to adjust the brim of a wide hat that wasn't there. When he pawed at the air, he settled for scratching the back of his head bashfully. The sleeves of his suit strained over his thick arms and Hop hoped he didn't tear his suit. He probably wasn't used to dressing up like this as a farm boy, even if he did attend the galas every year. "Thanks, champ. That's right nice coming from you. I didn't get the chance to congratulate you on your match. Champion for another year, eh?"

Nessa smiled at Hop. "Sorry about the semifinals. You were really good out there, though! Getting all the way to the top is brilliant."

Hop shrugged and looked down at a random spot on the ground. "Did my best, right? At least my big bro can still make us proud."

"You stop that now, Hop. I told you everyone's proud of you too," Leon said. He ruffled Hop's hair.

Nessa nodded down the hall to the ballroom. "The Chairman will likely be looking for you. Hope you like toasts! This is year number eleven, isn't it? Here's to a new decade." She raised the wine glass in her hand. Milo took a glass from a passing waiter (with a humble thanks) and raised it too.

"There'll be plenty of time for that later if I know Rose," Leon said. "But thanks, nonetheless. Please, don't let us stop you from enjoying yourselves." With a nod to the two of them, Leon led Hop away. Hop managed to give them a small wave, at least.

He glanced up at Leon. "There's no need to rush. The Chairman would probably understand if you wanted to stay and talk to your friends."

Leon gave a short hum and then said, "Well, sometimes people tend to go on when they gush about me. Don't want you to have to stand there and listen to it all."

Hop blinked. "I don't mind, Lee. I've done a fair amount of it too. I don't mind."

"All the same..." Leon said. It was strange...Leon wasn't one to normally turn away when someone was complimenting him. He wasn't an egomaniac, but from what Hop could tell, he seemed to soak up the attention - a side effect from spending his teenage years in the spotlight. So for him to shy away from it there, at the gala of all things, was confusing. The only thing Hop could think of that changed was...his gym challenge. Leon wasn't trying to spare his feelings, was he? There really was no need for it. He wasn't so fragile that he needed to be coddled.

But he kept these thoughts to himself as they entered the grand ballroom and took in the exquisite sight. The floor was shiny enough to be used as a mirror. The walls were decorated with gold trimming and actual mirrors and the gaudiest glass chandeliers known to Galar hung from the ceiling. Hop had seen it all before, but he couldn't deny that first stepping onto the place was breathtaking. Leon squeezed his shoulder. 

"I'm going to have to talk to the Chairman," he said. "It won't take long if you want to come with me."

Hop eyed a series of tables set up with an elaborate array of dishes and treats on offer. Despite his nerves, his stomach niggled at him. "I...I might get something to eat."

Leon smiled down at him. "Eat whatever you want. I'll do the same once I'm done with Rose. Remember..." and here he lowered his voice. "I'll be over there if you need me." He nodded towards where the Chairman was greeting some of his guests. He was a jovial man with kind eyes who had only ever been polite to Hop. Hop should have been excited to speak with him, but somehow after his loss, the thought of talking to him again was embarrassing.

Even if Gloria had faced an even bigger loss. Arceus, Hop was even second-best at _losing_.

He didn't reply to Leon, just nodded. Leon patted his shoulder and went to meet up with Rose. Hop scanned the crowd, absentmindedly clutching at his arms. He'd been here before and seen it all but for some reason this year felt different. He felt like a foreigner in a strange land amongst these people with their fancy clothes and quips. With the way they examined his face, someone even recognizing him, it was like he was exposed to their judgment. This was Champion Leon's world, not Hop's. 

And there was Leon, blending seamlessly in with the rest of the prestigious crowd with his regal profile and charm.

Hop's appetite had all but diminished, but he wandered over to the food anyway. He recognized the pies and scones but the Mantine eggs looked a bit too undercooked for his taste (they were supposed to be eaten raw, right?) The ice sculpture carved in the shape of a Vanilluxe was a nice touch, though. He spotted a plate of thin sandwiches with nothing but a slice of cucumber in them and picked one up. Looked tasteless, which was probably what he could handle right then. Just as he popped it into his mouth, he found himself flanked by the twins with their habit of popping up out of thin air.

"You came!" Gloria took his left arm and leaned in.

"It's about time!" Victor copied her but on Hop's right.

Hop flushed and swallowed his small sandwich. The twins were both wearing wicked grins. "W-Well, yeah. I came with Lee."

Gloria giggled. "I know. You both look so _handsome_."

"Th-Thanks."

"Want us to get you a dance with him?" Victor asked.

Hop went beet red. "No, that's okay...Sh-Shouldn't you be with the Chairman, Gloria?"

"I was," Gloria said, dismissively. "I heard his whole speech. Got some pictures. Now he's got Leon!"

"Come on, don't you want to get pictures with Leon?" Victor said, beating his eyelashes.

"Wh-What's gotten into you two? You're acting barmier than usual which is saying something," Hop said. He tried to extricate himself from their holds, but they stuck to him like glue.

"You're the bar,y one," Gloria protested. "Yer not hangin' all over him and bragging to anyone who'll listen."

"We thought something may have happened between you," Victor said. "And that's why yer so shy around him tonight. You stayed with him all week, after all. Are you tellin' us nothing went on at all?"

At any other time, Hop would have wished something _had_ happened with Leon. Now everything was such a muddle.

"Nope. Nothing happened," Hop said.

The twins simultaneously groaned. "That's so boring," Gloria whined. "You even came in matching colors! You're practically his date!"

"You both match each other too!" Hop protested. They had both settled for Gloria wearing a shimmering, blue sequined dress and Victor wearing a sequined tie of the same color.

"Oh, right," the twins said simultaneously followed by a giggle.

If Hop didn't do something to cool down his face, he was pretty sure he was going to get feverish. Maybe he could use the Vanilluxe sculpture. His eyes darted around, looking for something - anything - to distract them with and his eyes fell on his Mum in her black evening gown chatting away with Melony.

"Oh look, it's Mum over there," Hop said. "I should go say hi. Haven't seen her at all tonight."

The twins reluctantly let him go, but Gloria said, "We're going to go out to the balcony if you need to get away from the party. We've got a special treat with us."

"But if you wait too long, it might be gone," Victor said, tantalizingly. They hooked their arms together and sauntered off towards the balcony. Hop grabbed a couple of tiny sausages pierced on a stick and poured himself a cup of punch before making his way over to Mum. By the time she saw him, he hoped his blush had faded.

"Oh, there you are, Hop," she drew out his name while she brought him in for a hug. "Look at you, so handsome in your little suit."

"Hi, Mum," Hop said. "It's good to see you again."

"I'm so sorry I didn't see you after the tournament. Leon said you were sick. Are you feeling better?" she said.

"Oh, poor baby. Did you miss the whole thing?" Melony cooed at him comfortingly. Something about their tone made him feel ten years younger than he actually was.

"I...saw it on the telly," Hop said. He swallowed and was suddenly glad that he hadn't eaten much at the buffet because a wave of nausea went through his stomach. "Um...R-Raihan took me to...his place."

She didn't know. Hop certainly hadn't told her and he doubted Leon did if she was gushing over him now.

"How sweet," Mum said. "I'll have to thank him later. He's here tonight, isn't he?"

"I believe so," Melony said. "I thought I saw him skulking around. Maybe he went outdoors. He always gets into such a state when he loses to Leon in the tourney. Between you and me, I think he's a bit more sensitive about losing than people give him credit."

Hop's chest tightened until it was difficult to breathe.

"...I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you," he uttered quietly.

"Well, don't you want to come too?" Mum said, patting his shoulder. "You always talked about how much you wanted to hang about with him and Leon while you were growing up. They say going through the gym challenge forges the strongest of friendships and now you've finally battled him-"

"I already said thanks," Hop said. Something thick had lodged itself in his throat. His free hand clutched the elbow of the shaking arm that held his drink. His head felt like it was full of static.

Texting Raihan when he'd been frightened around a bloodied Leon was already crazy enough on its own. Talking to him face-to-face with his Mum and pretending everything was okay was another thing entirely. Looking back on that day with Leon, he assumed he must have been in too much shock to think about what he was doing. The conversation was still on his phone. There was just such a great disconnect between the Raihan he knew growing up and the Raihan from that night that he still couldn't think it was real or just a nightmare.

Mum frowned at him and said, "Hop, don't interrupt me while we're in public."

"Sorry," Hop said.

"Oh, there's no need to worry about me," Melony said. "Gordie used to be the same way."

"Maybe but I expected you to be better than this, Hop. If you're acting weird because you're still sick, maybe you should go back to Leon's apartment and rest."

To be honest, with the way the evening was going, the idea of holing himself up in his room was tempting. But then a heavy arm fell over his shoulders and he nearly jumped out of his skin. It was both a relief and a concern to hear Leon's voice say, "Mum! So good to see you!"

"Oh, Leon, sweetie!" Mum immediately brightened up and moved forward to hug Leon, who accepted her with his free arm while he kept the other around Hop. "There's my champion!"

Hop turned his head to the side a bit awkwardly until they released each other. They were family, but it suddenly felt as though he was intruding on something. He'd never felt this way before. Why couldn't he hang off of Leon like he did last year and the year before that?

Mum pulled back and gave Leon a brilliant smile. "I'm so proud of you! I knew you could defend your title. You're going to have another wonderful year, you just watch."

Leon chuckled. "That Gloria packs a punch. Must've gotten so good training with Hop and her brother. You saw Hop's match against her, right?"

"Of course I did," Mum said. "My two baby boys running the entire show. It's too bad you didn't make it into the finals, Hop. But there's always next year, hm?"

"There's nowhere to go but up," Melony said. "Someone strong enough to beat my gym can only get better." She pinched Hop's cheek between two perfectly manicured nails.

"I guess so..." Hop said. He was tempted to wave her hand off but didn't want to annoy Mum again.

"Making it to the semi-finals though, that's nothing to sneeze at, right Mum?" Leon said. He had moved slightly behind Hop to let his hands cover Hop's shoulders. "And on his first try!"

"Yes, he did better than I thought he would for having his head in the clouds so much." She said this like it was supposed to be cute. "What a wake up call it would have been to fight you! But at least you know what it will take to become Champion, right, baby? Leon hasn't had the title for _ten years_ for nothing."

"Yeah," Hop muttered. He finished off the rest of his drink.

Leon's hands tightened on Hop's shoulders. "With a bit more training, I think he could be a real professional; maybe even a gym leader."

Melony hummed. "Oh! Wouldn't that be exciting!"

Mum giggled. "Being a gym leader is a lot of responsibility for someone his age! He might be better off joining the League Staff."

Leon's grip was starting to hurt enough for Hop to flinch. "Lee..."

"Mum, Allister is younger than Hop and he can handle it," Leon said. His smile had thinned considerably. "Besides, being a staff member is an honorable position. He'd probably make enough money to support himself with it."

"That's very true," Mum said, putting a couple of fingers on her cheek as though in thought. "It might not make him famous, but at least we wouldn't have to worry about his financial stability."

"Are you two done?" Hop said, a bit too curtly. He wasn't sure at all where it came from, only his chest was about to burst from the indignity gathering there.

Suddenly all their eyes were on him. The plastic cup in his hand bowed inwards with his grip. He was staring at some random point on the floor, but he could _feel_ their gazes on him, two shocked and one disapproving.

"I beg your pardon?" Mum said in that tone that only a mother could take when their child talked back. But now that Hop started down this route, it was hard to stop.

"Are you two done talking about me as though I'm not here?" Hop clarified. "Because I am here and that's my future you're discussing."

"Hop..." Leon said. His hands had faltered enough for Hop to be able to pull away without much resistance. "I didn't mean..."

"What in Arceus's name has gotten into you, young man," Mum said. "Especially in front of our friends. Apologize, now."

"Yeah, sorry," Hop said, without so much as a glance to them. "I'm going to find Gloria and Victor."

He turned to head towards the balcony. Behind him, he heard Leon say, "H-Hop, I was going to stay close to you."

"I'll be fine," Hop threw over his shoulder. He half expected someone to grab him and yank him back, but that kind of gesture would really tarnish their image in front of such a blue-blooded crowd, Hop was sure.

"But we...I thought..." Leon's voice was being drowned out by the party and the music, but Hop could still hear the slight tremor he had. That was the only thing he felt the least bit sorry about. At least Leon had been trying to defend him.

A few people cast him glances here and there but no one tried to talk to him. Why would they, after all? He was starting to warm up too much underneath his suit jacket. When he reached the doors to the ballroom's long balcony, the rush of evening air hit him and cooled him down. The balcony looked out over the garden behind the hotel with its rose bushes and lilacs everywhere. Once the glass doors shut behind him, the sounds of the gala were muffled. Guests mingled with each other with drinks and gossip. With a sigh, Hop looked around for the twins as he walked down the length of the balcony.

He finally spied them on one of the wide stone banisters that lead to the sweet-scented open air. He worked on stripping off his jacket as he went over to join them seeing as it wasn't that cold out.

"Woo, take it off!" Gloria cheered when she caught sight of him, making him blush.

"I dunno if you'd be able to afford me," Hop said.

Victor snickered and beckoned for him to come closer. He pulled a copper flask from inside his suit jacket. "Want some of the hard stuff? We were gonna spike the punch, but Mum got us the glasses before we could get close enough."

"You're so bad," Hop said. "I'm telling the Chairman."

"I hear he'll just drink the flask," Gloria said. Upon closer look at both of their flushed faces, they'd already drunk enough to get tipsy.

Hop stared at the flask. He'd been raised a good boy, right? A proper gent. The type to apologize to a Mum who still saw fit to baby him in front of a gym leader who Hop beat in battle. A good boy definitely didn't drink alcohol a few years too early. How Mum _wished_ he was another perfect Leon...

And he'd always been curious about the taste. "Here, gimme." Victor handed him the flask and he unscrewed the top to take a swig. The sour taste burned his throat on the way down and he coughed. Warmth spread from his chest to his limbs.

"Yeah, that happened to me too my first time too," Victor said.

"How many...hah...firsts have you had?" Hop asked, once his coughing had subsided.

"Wellll," Victor tapped his chin, but before he could reply, Gloria elbowed him in the ribs and he sputtered.

Hop went over to the banister and leaned over it, resting his elbows over the edge. He wanted to enjoy the garden's serenity, but he found himself closing his eyes.

'How'd yer talk with yer Mum go?" Gloria asked.

"...'Bout what you'd expect," Hop said. They knew how his Mum felt about Leon over Hop. Hell, anyone with a functioning pair of ears could hear it, no matter how much she tried to dote on Hop too. Even the doting wasn't about Hop, it was about him looking and acting his best so that he'd help his older brother's image. That was how Hop was raised and that was his purpose now - to make Leon look good.

He should have hated that about Leon. Living in his brother's shadow should have made him bitter. But all he'd ever done was adore Lee, look up to him, want to be just like him...Right up until he just _wanted_ him; His handsome, charismatic, larger-than-life brother who could make an entire stadium full of people go wild just from striking a pose. He would have done anything for Lee.

With all of his responsibilities and fans, he would have thought Leon would never have any time for Hop, but instead Lee always had a kind smile for him and backed him up, even if it was against their mother. Tears prickled in Hop's eyes when he thought of snapping at Leon as he had inside the party.

He caught a curl of movement out of the corner of his eye where it seemed to catch the light of the rising moon. His eyes automatically flicked in the direction. It took him a moment to identify the movement as smoke rising from a single, glowing orange point of light.

Oh...The face behind it.

His heart beat faster and the warmth from the alcohol turned cold. Victor and Gloria were giggling about something behind him.

_Leon was willing to nearly kill someone for him._

Before, Hop had been afraid at the thought of being this close, but he was still running on the leftovers of adrenaline through his system. He wasn't afraid now...he was...

His hands curled into fists.

"I-I'll be right back. There's something I have to do," he told Victor and Gloria.

"Aww, okay," Gloria said. "Don't be loooong!"

"I won't. Just talking to someone," Hop said, hoping the buzz from the alcohol would last a bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: @for_gotta


	9. The Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party is just getting started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implied murder, past rape mention, sand in eyes, more underage drinking, violent thoughts

As he watched Hop's retreating form disappear into the crowd of gala guests, all Leon wanted to do was pursue him, just to catch him and try to explain. Explain what, he didn't know, maybe that he hadn't meant to hurt his feelings with anything he said. He didn't like hurting Hop, couldn't bear the thought that he may have by accident. Desperation to even out the waters between them filled his head and he started after Hop. If his little brother was angry at him for something...something so _stupid_ as arguing with their Mum over him, he couldn't bear it. The one person he wanted to please more than anyone else in this goddamn world and now he was angry.

But he felt a gentle grip on his sleeve.

"Give him a moment alone, dear," Melony said. White hairs from her fur-lined dress were rubbing off and clinging to his suit. "He's had to take in a lot with the challenge. Probably just overwhelmed."

Behind her, Mum was adjusting her shawl and mumbling to herself. She ran her fingers through her hair and then straightened up, smiling at Leon. "Oh, honey, don't feel bad. Hop just has an itch on his shoulder tonight since he didn't win the championship, poor boy. Don't take it to heart."

Leon's fists clenched automatically at his sides. "Mum..." A cap had been let off of something inside of him that had threatened to boil over while he was arguing with her over Hop. Hop storming off had temporarily thrown dirt over the fire, but it was quickly being stoked again. He felt his fingers twitching, almost imperceptibly.

"I still expected better from him. Well, he _is_ still a teenager, isn't he? I guess it's to be expected," Mum said. "But you were never like that, were you? I don't know where he gets all this from. Maybe the twins are rubbing something off of him. I'll talk to him after I take him home tonight."

The feeling was starting to boil and bubble over. Taking a deep breath didn't quell it. This wasn't good.

Melony was fanning herself. "Ohhh, what an evening. I need another drink."

"Let's find that handsome server again," Mum said. "He was so polite. I should get him to talk to Hop. He might learn something about proper manners."

_Arceus, why wouldn't she shut up?_ The ballroom felt too hot. There were too many living bodies heating up the place. Leon's heart drummed in his ears. He saw Mum smiling at him from the corner of his vision, but couldn't bring himself to return her look.

"Would you like to come with us, Leon?" she said. "Not to talk to the server, if you don't want to. I know you've been seeing Raihan an awful lot lately-"

"No." The rising tension made him snap at her and he felt no pity for the shock that spread across her face. What he needed right then was quiet so he could bring himself back under control. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why these urges were acting out now. He was usually able to keep such a good handle on them, particularly in public when _everyone was watching._

Mum frowned at him, her eyes disapproving. "Don't tell me whatever's gotten into him is getting to you too."

"You're the one who got to him," Leon said curtly. "Were you listening to anything you said?"

"I was only thinking about what might be best for him. He's my son," Mum said. Melony worried her lip as though she wanted to drag Mum away, but didn't want to leap into the middle of the argument. "He only acts proper around because he wants to impress everyone. I've actually lived with him long enough to know what he's like when he's not worshiping you."

Leon's breath caught in his throat. He had to get out. Now.

"Whatever, do what you want," he said, between gritted teeth. The urge was dangerously close to steaming in his chest. She was probably going to have at him later on too, but he knew that whatever she said to him was going to be nothing compared to how she was inevitably going to lay into Hop and it pissed him off to no end. He wasn't about to let Hop be hurt again; not so soon after Raihan got his hands on his baby brother. It was Leon's duty to ensure nothing hurt Hop ever again. The only thing keeping him from tearing through the crowd after Hop was the fact that he didn't want Hop to see him like this, with his barely contained rage. He _needed_ Hop to love him, not think any degree less of him, and he might inadvertently scare Hop like this.

So, without waiting for a response from Mum, he strode away from them, towards an alcove near the balconey, but not outside. People wanted to stop him and give their congratulations, but he just nodded and forced a tight smile before continuing on his way. Once he was alone, he set his hands against the wall, breathing hard with the effort to get a grip. Underneath his suit jacket, he felt Charizard's Pokeball roll in its holder. There was a glow of energy to his side and then Charizard was there, grumbling with concern. He knew all too well what was going on in Leon's head; he'd seen the effects for himself numerous times.

"Charizard...Char..." He turned, taking a hold of Charizard's strong neck to steady himself. "Please...Find Hop. Watch over him. I-I can't be near him like this and I don't trust anyone else."

Charizard nodded with a thrum. Smoke coiled out of his nostrils. He was hesitating, clearly not wanting to leave his companion alone when Leon was in this state.

"Go!" Leon hissed. "Please, Charizard...He loves you. He'll understand."

Charizard wasn't at all convinced, but he relented, nodding once and heading towards the balconey, his wings tucked close to his body so they didn't run into anybody. Plenty of people recognized the big lug and cooed at him. Normally, he would have stopped and preened while they adored him, but he was on a mission. The sides of Leon's mouth tugged upwards at the sight.

Before he rejoined the party, he had to calm down if he didn't want to find himself clawing into somebody's eyes. That sounded like an exaggeration, but he'd done worse to people when the urge to rip and tear flared up. It started as a spark and grew into a conflagration until it was either released or it simmered down. His Pokemon could usually keep him calm until the latter happened, but that night he'd only brought Charizard since he didn't think these impulses would arise at the Gala, of all things, when he was normally riding on the high from the Championship tournament.

There was a door embedded in the wall of the alcove that lead into the smaller back halls that the staff of the hotel used to get around. Fortunately, this one wasn't locked. Inside, the elegance of the ballroom gave way to sterile white walls and tile floors. The music and voices from the ballroom were muffled. He covered his face with a shaking hand. The itch to harm was intense and pointed, like the edge of a knife. Even the surge of adrenaline in Pokemon battles wasn't like this - at least then it was fuel he could use to fire up the crowd. It was exciting, leading to a delicious victory.

This was all destructive, a string pulled too taut about to snap. When it roused, there was only one way to satisfy it. If it tightened in response to his precious Hop being degraded, it would only be loosened by the splattering of blood, the feeling of it sliding between his fingers, the release not unlike beating another trainer in battle.

His fingernails dug into the palm of his hands, but the pain didn't dull the edge. For some reason, he couldn't keep his emotions under control. Why was this happening? He was supposed to be keeping Hop safe and making sure he had a champion time, not sneaking around like a troublesome child.

The sound of a set of metal doors opening somewhere in the back halls echoed around him. Shit. It wasn't getting caught he was worried about more than it was what he would do if he saw them while he nerves were still frayed. A closet for cleaning supplies was labeled with the minimalistic picture of a Minccino holding its tail like a broom. Also unlocked; he was lucky tonight. A motion-detector light stayed on even after the heavy door shut behind him. A shelf with bottles of cleaner and a spool of thin electrical cord sat in front of his face. The Champion of Galar for ten years running was hiding in a broom closet. He let his head rest on the cool surface while footsteps and laughter came closer.

His sweaty grip over the closet door handle tightened as he silently willed the workers to just keep walking, to give him some peace, but then the footsteps paused right outside the closet and he cursed under his breath.

"Yeah, you can head on out, mate. I'm just gonna throw this in the bin. I'm surprised we haven't had more spills tonight," said one of them. "They're starting to get pissed out there."

"Jealous," said the other. "I wanna get pissed too. After my shift, I'm heading to the pub with Delibird. Why do these prissy fucks get to have all the fun?"

"Hey, do you know if the Champion's still here or is he gone?"

"I think so, at least I don't think I saw him leave. Chairman woulda announced something."

Leon straightened up against the door.

"Why? You going to ask him to sign your card?"

"Piss off, wanker. So what if I do? You're the one that keeps drooling over Nessa. How many cum socks you filled since you got her new calendar?"

Pathetic.

"Tosser! Fuckin' 'ell. Just hurry up. You'll have to squeeze in a minute with the Champ with the way that kid's been hanging off him all night."

"You mean his cock-up little brother that even got bested by the fairy-boy? I don't give a damn if he's there or not."

Leon froze. Eavesdropping on their conversation had been a temporary distraction, but with the latest turn of their discussion, his hands started shaking again.

"Hah! 'E's closer to the Champ than you'll ever be." That voice receded down the hallway, presumably out of sight.

The one in front of the closet yelled out, "Plonker! Even that disgrace has more clout than you!"

The boiling pot inside Leon burst before the staff worker had the chance to fully open the door.

~

Most of the people on the balcony were well on their way to getting drunk and paid Hop no mind as he strode by. It was only when he felt the breeze cool the fabric of his shirt and made him shiver that he realized he'd left his suit jacket back on the stone railing with Victor and Gloria, but he knew if he went back to retrieve it, he would lose his nerve. His hands were balled into trembling fists at his sides.

The entire balcony was curved in order to view the garden at an assortment of angles. He temporarily lost sight of the glowing cigarette at the other end as he walked around. At his side, he felt Inteleon's Pokeball twitch and was forced to stop when the beam of energy touched down on the ground directly in front of him. Inteleon was slender; Hop should have been able to push right past him, but a cool, scaly hand closed around his wrist and pulled him back. Hop made a face and glanced up to see Inteleon shaking his head.

Hop frowned and tried to look determined, but Inteleon's eyes had a way of narrowing down into dangerous slits when he disapproved of something. Hop was hard put not to shiver.

"I need to talk to him," Hop said. How did his Pokemon even know where he was going and what he intended to do? Inteleon wasn't psychic. Maybe he could just read Hop's body language better than expected for all the days and nights they were together.

Inteleon shook his head again and Hop gave an exasperated grown. " _Please_. If it'll make you feel better, you can stay out, but...I want to..."

Want to what? What exactly was he going to do when he got over there? What was he going to say? He had no idea having not planned that far ahead. It was just like his idea to go backpacking into another region, he didn't know what he was going to do once he got there, only things as they were felt unsatisying. He glanced down the walkway. "I won't get too close. Just...trust me on this."

Yes, trust him when he barely trusted himself. Inteleon didn't look at all convinced, but he seemed to relent when he released Hop's hand. It was as Hop was relaxing that he caught sight of the black accessory around Inteleon's neck.

"Are you...wearing a bow-tie?" he said. In response, Inteleon looked a bit sheepish and reached up to tighten it by pulling on either end. "Did you swipe that from Lee's wardrobe?" Another smile.

"...leon," Inteleon said. Hop just started chuckling with a hand over his face. Once he started, it was difficult to stop. It was less from amusement and more pitying over the sad state of things. He leaned into Inteleon, resting his head against the Pokemon's chest before he felt thin arms around him.

Speaking of Leon...

When his laughter quieted, he glanced upward. "Will you watch for Lee? I don't know what he's going to do if he sees me with...with Raihan."

Inteleon glanced around concerned, but nodded all the same. "Intel."

Hop stepped back and led the way around the balcony. The conversation with Inteleon was a nice distraction, but the alcohol wasn't able to subdue all of the trepidation. It wasn't too late. He could turn around, rejoin the twins, spike Bede's drink with whiskey, and go apologize to his brother so they could try to salvage what was left of an otherwise lovely party. But then he would hate himself for chickening out; for running instead of facing Raihan in person instead of over the phone. All when he just wanted to know _why_ that night even happened.

They finally ran out of balcony to circumvent. Hop could see Raihan standing alone at the very end, leaning against the brick wall o the hotel and gazing out over the garden just like Hop had been doing. He at least had bothered to dress in a suit himself. Under normal circumstances, Hop would have even ventured so far as to call him handsome, but thinking that way sent a shiver up his spine. Inteleon put a hand on his arm, but he shook his head and mumbled, "I'm fine, I promise. Stay here, will you?"

He nodded his head at the nearby stone pillar. Inteleon headed over, albeit reluctantly. The thing about Inteleon was that he could move his eyes in two different directions at once. It was a little unsettling to see, but he would be able to keep an eye on both the doors leading to the ballroom /and/ Hop talking to Raihan. And if somebody made a wrong move...well, his Snipe Shot had penetrated a Coalossal's stone hide before. One could only imagine what it would do to flesh.

Steeling himself, Hop came forward until he was just inside of the ring of light from the lantern above their heads. Raihan stood outside of the ring on the other side, the outline of his slacks and vest barely visible. Everything from his shoulders up was shrouded in shadow. He saw Raihan ash his cigarette on the stone railing.

"Rai...han?" he said, his voice not nearly as strong as he would have liked. His palms were already clammy.

Raihan visibly winced and turned to look at him. Hop could have sworn he felt his heart stop when he met those icy blue eyes again. He'd been right; it was so much more different facing him in person than texting him. At least then he could pretend it was someone else. What he could see of Raihan's face from the dim lighting transformed into horror. "Hop, what the _fuck_ -" he said. His eyes flicked behind Hop down the balcony, probably expecting Leon but instead getting Inteleon aiming his index finger straight at him. Hop held out a hand to signal everything was fine.

"Where the hell is Leon?" Raihan said, all too tensely.

"Inside. He doesn't know I'm out here." Hop flushed. "I just need to talk to you."

"Why? I thought everything was already figured out. I fucked up and Leon beat the shit out of me," Raihan said. He was fingering the space on his belt where his Pokeballs were kept. His eyes kept flitting cautiously to Inteleon. Hop prayed everyone stayed calm. He really didn't want a battle to break out.

"I...I know," Hop said, worrying his lip. His eyes searched Raihan's skin for any sign of bruises or scars but didn't find any. "At least you don't look too bad."

Raihan gave a short, humorless laugh. "Make-up is a thing, Hopscotch."

Hop winced. "Don't..." _Don't call me that anymore,_ is what he wanted to say. It was probably well within his rights to ask. But something in the back of his mind said that it would only be a distraction.

He used to like it. Yeah, he used to get tiffed as a kid that they had given him a nickname, but some part of him craved it. He realized he wanted nothing more than to turn back the clock, to make it so nothing in the past week had ever happened so they could all just be friends again and the only thing he had to worry about was getting drunk with the twins.

He clutched at his elbows. "D-Did you really do that to me just because you wanted Leon? I was...just supposed to be a substitute for him?"

Raihan watched him flatly. After a long moment, he said, "Does it matter? Not like I would be able to have him now anyway."

A weird mix of heat and chill ran through Hop. There was both frustration and disappointment since all he wanted out of Raihan was a straight answer. But also...he didn't want it to just be about Leon. Didn't Hop matter in all this too? Had Raihan really given no thought to how he would be affected?

"Yes, it does matter. I want to know," Hop said, his fingers digging into his arm, making an indent on the sleeve. He could feel the beginnings of tears in his eyes again. Once he started getting emotional, it was way too easy for him to dip back no matter if an hour had passed. But he blinked desperately to ward the tears off. There was no shame in crying, he knew, but he didn't want Raihan to think he was getting to him. "...I want to know if you really took my _first time_ just b-because you were jealous that you think you can't have my b-brother."

Raihan watched him for a long, uncomfortable moment in which the only sounds were the loud guffawing from a drunk lady somewhere on the balcony, some insect Pokemon singing in the garden, and some muffled string cords from the music inside the ballroom. Hop's breathing was sharp and shallow in his ears.

"Kid-" He stopped himself, frowning and rubbing his forehead. "Hop, you ain't gonna like whatever answer I give you."

Hop could kind of see his point. If Raihan didn't really care for him and had used him solely as a substitute, then that meant Hop was nothing more than an afterthought, like a soggy rag hung up to dry. On the other hand, if Raihan did have some feelings for him, then that still meant he had cared more about satisfying his lust that night rather than considering Hop's well-being. Neither was a pleasant option, but...

"Just...try me," Hop said. "I just want the truth and then we never have to talk about it again."

Raihan raised his eyebrows skeptically. "You're going to let it drop just like that, huh?"

"N-No. I still don't know if I've forgiven you or not," Hop said.

"I'm surprised you and Leon didn't turn me in," Raihan said. His fingers tapped on the box of cigarettes on the railing beside him. He must have been itching to have another simply from this conversation. How many of them had he already had that night?

Hop scoffed and stared at the ground. "You're a gym leader. Everybody loves you. Who the fuck would believe me? I'm lucky Lee did."

There was another silence that was somehow even more uncomfortable than the first. Hop glanced behind him to find Inteleon had lowered his hand despite still keeping a sharp eye on Raihan.

"You want the truth?" Raihan said, making Hop turn around to stare at him. "I fucked you because I was angry and I wanted your brother, yeah."

Hop felt the color drain from his face and he lowered his head.

"That don't mean I hate you, though," Raihan said. "Weird thing is I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. It's your choice if you wanna forgive me or not. I won't be mad if you don't."

It wasn't exactly an apology, but it could have been worse. Hop slowly nodded and dropped his hands to his sides. "You won't...do it again?"

"No. I won't force you into it again," Raihan said. "I'm still impressed you didn't want Leon to finish me off. You've got a little heart of gold, don't you?"

Hop frowned. "It would only make things wor-"

That was as much as he was able to get out before something slammed into him from behind. He felt arms around him and for a terrifying moment, he thought Leon had found them. But the arms wrapping around him were far too thin to be Leon's. Inteleon grabbed him and was scrambling to drag him closer to the wall. "Wha- Hey!"

Then he saw _Charizard_ charging down the walkway with a gleam of fury in his eyes and flames licking out from the sides of his mouth. He was headed straight for Raihan rather than Hop.

"Char- No! Wait!" Hop cried out. He struggled against Inteleon's grip, but the grip around him held tight.

"Oh, bloody shitfuck!" Through his panic, Raihan fumbled with a Pokeball and sent out Flygon who was more than a little bewildered. But she let Raihan clamber onto her back before sending out a stream of sand from her mouth at Charizard. He faltered, rubbing at his eyes and snarling with rage. 

"Fly, just fly!" Raihan urged his mount. Hop saw Flygon beat her thin wings into transparency and take off through the balcony window and over the garden where the night swallowed them up. 

With his heart pounding, Hop asked Inteleon to let him go, which he did, setting Hop on the ground. His legs shook as he made his way over to where Charizard was scrabbling at his eyes. There was no sign of Leon which meant Charizard was by himself. Hop had a feeling Raihan would be dead if his older brother _had_ been there.

"Let me see your face," Hop told Charizard. The sand was already crusted around his eyes and nose. Hop glanced up at Inteleon. "Can you help him wash it out?"

Inteleon nodded and created enough water for Hop to wipe Charizard's face off. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, but otherwise undamaged. Charizard whined and welcomed the neck scratches that Hop offered in comfort. Meanwhile, the scene had drawn the attention of most everyone on the balcony, sober and otherwise. A small crowd had gathered just around the bend. 

Hop laughed pathetically and waved his hands. "N-Nothing to see here! Everything is right as rain! Right, Inteleon?"

"Intel!" Inteleon made playful finger guns at the crowd without the water shots.

Victor and Gloria pushed their way through the crowd to join them. Their cheeks were flushed either from the whiskey or from running. "Hop, what happened? We didn't know you were going to have a party!" Gloria said between puffs of breath.

"We...uh...We weren't having fun," Hop said, his smile falling. "It's a long story."

Now that he was sufficiently recovered, Charizard was trying to nudge Hop in the direction of the doors and likely back to Leon. Hop's stomach dropped at the thought of facing his big brother after all that had just gone down, but resisting a champion fire lizard seemed like a bad idea. Victor put a hand on Charizard's shoulder.

"Hey, wait, you big bloke. I wanna hear Hop's story," he said. Charizard grumbled in response.

"I-I don't know if this is the best place to tell you about it anyway," Hop stammered. Not now, not with everybody's eyes on him and making his skin crawl. "Maybe later."

"Aww, okay," Gloria said with a pout. "But we still have to finish our drink. Can't you let him stay, Char? You can be our chaperone if you want.~ We'll even give you some."

Charizard grumbled again, but his horns distinctly perked up with interest. The people at the end of the walkway dispersed muttering when it was apparent the action was over. The group of teens and Pokemon slumped against the brick wall and passed the flask around. Charizard even managed not to ignite the whiskey with his flames. By the time the flask was empty, Hop's mind was numb and he was leaning into Inteleon.

Raihan said he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Hop. What the hell did that even mean? The words sent a chill through him, but with him being surrounded by his friends and Pokemon to protect him... he couldn't help but wonder... If things were different and none of this had ever happened, would he have ever liked Raihan? Well, technically that was ridiculous. There was an age gap between them and it was only because of /that night/ that Raihan apparently started noticing he existed in that light.

_There was an age gap between Hop and Lee but that hadn't stopped Hop from loving him._

Hop rubbed his face irritably. The only reason he was thinking about him and Raihan at all was because his mind and body were still trying to reconcile what had been done to him. He couldn't let himself forget the pain...the fear. Because that's what victims of rape were supposed to do, right? Keep crying and drowning in their anger before rising above the pain and becoming paragons of sexual assault survivors everywhere. And if they didn't follow that preset path, then there was something wrong with them.

Tears filled Hop's eyes for the third time that night. He wasn't okay.

"Hop?" At some point, Leon had found them and knelt down beside Hop. He looked considerably more relaxed than he'd been during their conversation with Mum and Melony. Charizard lifted his head from where he was curled up on the ground and tried to stare at Leon with unfocused eyes.

"Leeee..." Hop whispered before he sat up and away from Inteleon and threw his arms around Leon's shoulders. In that moment, he didn't care if anyone saw the display and thought it was strange. Leon's hands rubbed his back in soothing circles. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"You're sorry? For what? You didn't do anything wrong," Leon said, sounding genuinely confused.

Hop just shook his head. "I yelled at you."

"Mum and I weren't considering your feelings. It's okay," Leon said. "I'm not angry. I couldn't be at you, Hop." He glanced over at Victor and Gloria where they were giggling together about something on their phones. "Is this where you've been this whole time? With the twins?"

Before Hop could answer, Charizard growled at Leon, making sounds as if trying to tell him something. Hop was hard put to choke down a laugh because it seemed useless for them to talk when Leon couldn't understand Pokespeech. But then there was a chime from Leon's breast pocket and his Rotom phone drifted out.

"Initiating translation app!" Rotom said in a chipper accent as though it had done exactly this dozens of times. "Charizard says that he saw Hop speaking to gym leader Raihan but was able to chase Raihan off before he could make any moves."

Hop's blood ran cold as Leon glared at him. "Hop. Is that true? What the fuck were you thinking?"

"L-Lee, I...It's not what you think." Hop gulped. His arms slid from around Leon and landed on his lap.

"Were you actually trying to _find_ him this whole time?" Leon said, pulling Hop to his feet.

"No!" Hop jerked his arm out of Leon's hand. "I just...saw him on the other side of the balcony and...wanted to ask him something."

"Why? What could you possibly want to know from that arse-licker?" Leon demanded.

"I-It was just...about when he...It-It doesn't matter! I just want to go home." How could Hop possibly explain? "You can stay if you want. I'm leaving." He stooped to collect his jacket. This was all too much and the alcohol in his system was keeping him from thinking straight. Inteleon glanced between him and Leon before cautiously climbing to his feet as well.

Victor sat up. "Wait, does that mean you're going back to Postwick? We should go together! I think I'm sick of this place."

"You've only been here for like, an hour," Hop said.

Gloria shrugged. "That's enough. It's dull in there. Wait at the entrance for us and we can take a Corvicab together. We're gonna go get our Mum."

As they turned to leave, Victor said, "Don't worry, she won't get after you for anything." _Not like your Mum_ , Hop could just hear him thinking.

"Sounds good," Hop said, agreeing to the proposition before letting himself have the chance to think it over. He felt exhausted even if he hadn't been there as long as the twins. He had barely given Leon a glance when he started towards the door, gesturing to Inteleon to follow him.

"H-Hop, wait," Leon said. Any anger had drained from his voice. "I wasn't mad at you, honest. It just caught me by surprise. You don't have to go back to Postwick. You can stay at my apartment. I thought you'd want to stay away from Mum for a while."

Hop paused, his face downturned. He didn't look forward to having to deal with Mum, but being in this city was...

"Lee, I just need to get out of Wyndon for a while," he said. "You'd understand that, wouldn't you?" He'd only arrived in Wyndon a week and a half ago, but with everything that had happened there, it felt more like months of tears and anxiety.

"Yes, but...You'll come back, right? I feel like I hardly got to spend any time with you," Leon said. When Hop finally looked up at him, Leon had the expression of a kicked puppy and he couldn't deny the guilt that pooled at the bottom of his gut.

He sighed and turned to him. "Yes...I'll come back to visit...I won't be doing too much else at home, after all" He chuckled a bit wryly. He had his idea to go backpacking that he still needed to look into and decide if it was at all worth it. 

Above him, Leon was still crestfallen and Hop was overcome with a desire to wipe that from him face. With the whiskey in his system still dulling his inhibitions, he leaned up and kissed Lee on the cheek. Heat gushed to his face when he fell back and he averted his eyes. Just a couple inches to the left and the kiss would have been over Leon's lips. "I'll see you later," he said, going through the doors to the ballroom.

"...S-See you," Leon said, a bit breathless.


	10. The Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hop has a lot to think about. Then he gets an interesting phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Masturbation, past rape ment, incest ment, some sexual imagery, some death ment, paranoia.

They touched down in Postwick after about an hour in the Corvicab that was spent with the twins happily chatting with their mother about the Championship this and the gala that. Hop tuned it out for the most part as his mind was only interested in repeating his conversation with Raihan over and over. 

He forced himself on Hop out of anger, he'd said. Anger because of Arceus-knew-what, maybe that Leon seemed to care more for Hop than him or just anger at the world for not letting him and Leon just be together. It wasn't as though Hop would have stood in his way. If Raihan had wanted to go after Lee, Hop wouldn't fight it, even if it would hurt seeing Leon go out with someone else. 

While they flew over Hammerlocke, Hop's eyes wandered over the brightly lit castle against the night sky and wondered if Raihan was angry because Hop just _wasn't Leon_ and yet he was the closest to Hop's brother than he would ever get. Tears welled up in his eyes as Hop rested his head against the windowpane, trying to blink them away lest his fellow passengers take notice and worry over him. He passed his sleeve discreetly over his eyes, pretending that he was just rubbing his face.

Someone laid their head on his shoulder. "Hooopp, you're too quiet." Gloria, then.

"'M just tired," he muttered.

"Wanna sleep at our place tonight?" she said. "We can still celebrate."

"You could have stayed at the gala. Wasn't that enough of a party?" Hop said. 

"I mean celebrate _our way_ ," Gloria said.

"I don't know if I want to get in between you two while you're celebrating your way," Hop said. 

Gloria punched his arm and shushed him between tipsy giggles. Whether or not their Mum was aware of the whiskey the twins took to the gala was up for debate, but maybe they were always this loopy and she couldn't tell the difference. "Shh! Not with Mum here," she whispered in his ear. "We wanna wait until we move out before we tell her why we ain't seein' anyone else."

"Oh, my bad," Hop said, the corner of his mouth turning up. He wasn't sure if he was dying to see that conversation or run far away when it occurred. "Anyway, I'm just gonna go to bed. We can get together tomorrow."

Gloria hummed and rubbed the side of her head on his shoulder. The Covicab touched down on the road between their two houses in Postwick a half-hour later. The twins and their Mum hugged him goodnight before they strode across the bridge to their house. Hop's own home was dark inside; his grandparents had gone to Ballonlea to visit a friend since Hop, Leon, and their Mum were going to the gala. 

In other words, Hop was going to be alone. At first, he thought having some time to himself would be a solace, much like camping after the night with Raihan, when Leon had still seemed dangerously unbalanced. But looking at the old, brick building, half of it cast in the darkness that the streetlight didn't reach, a chill went down his spine and he called out Dubwool just to keep him company. Maybe he should have taken up Gloria's offer to stay with them for the night. 

Dubwool headed for the front door, only turning back once to give Hop a low bleat to spur him into following. The moment he unlocked the door and stepped inside, he turned on some lights and was immediately struck by how weird it was to be back after the weeks he was gone on his journey only to find everything exactly the same. He missed Purrloin rushing him at the door and using his pants to climb up his body and sit on his shoulders. Their grandparents must have taken her with them. Dubwool snuck into the kitchen to not-so-surreptitiously finish off her bowl of food. 

Hop retrieved a soda from the fridge, threw his jacket and pack over a chair at the kitchen table, and found his legs automatically taking him to Leon's trophies put on display on the shelf over the fireplace. He hadn't turned on the light in the sitting room, so most of the ribbons and trophies had a shadow cast over them. 

The semi-finalists didn't get so much as a ribbon for participation, not even a "you tried" star. The most Hop had was his badges but the thought of putting his badge-ring on the shelf next to Leon's giant golden trophy seemed ridiculous. For all of his talk, his determination to get to the Championship and beat Leon and he hadn't been able to do it. 

Dubwool came over to his side and stared up with his slanted eyes. Hop's free hand clutched at his other elbow. "Sorry, boy. I couldn't get us to the top," he said. Dubwool just nuzzled his arm. When Hop finally dragged his eyes away from the trophies to look down at him, Dubwool opened his mouth wide and growled the way he used to do as a Wooloo when he was trying to imitate Leon's Charizard. 

Hop laughed through his nose and stroked his head. "I'm just gonna take a shower and go to bed," he announced to no one in particular. Dubwool snorted and started towards the staircase, Hop following behind him. Except when they reached the top, Dubwool went to Hop's room and Hop paused. Leon's bedroom door had been left open like it usually was. A strange impulse came over Hop, making him slip into Lee's room. 

The bedroom was in pristine condition, nothing touched inside, an unspoken, sacred space to the family. Hop used to be too nervous to enter in case Mum might get angry and shout at him for messing anything up. As he got older and Mum's work took her outside of Postwick for days at a time, Hop got braver and ventured inside more and more. At first, it was just to look at his books and tapes, then it was to mess around with the gym equipment (he had to take off quite a few weights Leon used to actually lift anything), and then he got curious and went through Leon's drawers when he outgrew his pajamas and needed something bigger to wear to bed. 

He'd be surrounded by Leon's scent of musk and clove. Then Hop hit puberty and the scent went straight to his dick. That was probably when his crush began - when he was wrapped up in Leon's red t-shirt, wearing nothing else but leg warmers and laying in Lee's bed. He'd think of seeing Leon in his Pokemon battles and eventually, the thought of Leon's handsome face, washboard abs, and muscular breasts that were just _this_ side from being boobs got him hard. Keeping his voice down so that nobody else in the house heard him, he'd touch himself while imagining Lee's hands on him. 

In other words, Hop's older brother was his sexual awakening. Because Hop was a disgusting excuse for a little brother who crossed the line from being an innocent fan to a disgraceful pervert. If Leon knew, he would hate him, probably shove him away...maybe even hurt him. But it was the _repulsion_ that Hop imagined in Leon's eyes that killed him the most. 

Unfortunately, what his mind knew he couldn't have, his body craved all the more. Sometimes imagining Leon's reaction as turning aggressive enough to manhandle Hop would be able to get him hard. Anything for his older brother to touch him. 

At some point, Hop realized that he was standing in the doorway to Lee's bedroom, his body acting of its own accord. He set his soda on the tall dresser near the bed and pulled out the drawer with Leon's t-shirts. His favorite was the maroon one with the caricature of Charizard on the front. He stripped down to his underwear and threw the shirt over his head. Leon's scent had faded over time, but enough of it lingered that Hop could smell it if he buried his face into the fabric. 

There was a snort from across the hall and he looked up to find Dubwool staring at him from the doorway to his own bedroom. 

"Don't judge me," Hop said. "Go to sleep. I'll be in there eventually." Dubwool did the Pokemon equivalent of rolling his eyes and disappeared into the darkness of the room. 

Hop was too tired to be ashamed, too emotionally spent to be self-conscious. He just wanted to feel _good_ and drown out the memory of Raihan pinning him down with Leon doing it instead. 

Lee's lube was underneath the bed, against the wall. Hop found it once when Mum sent him up there to vacuum Leon's room and he dropped a coin that rolled under the mattress. He pulled back the blankets and slipped between the sheets before reaching for the bottle. It had been three-quarters of the way full when he found it, but now it had a handful of uses left, no pun intended. He squirted some into the palm of his hand, remembering the kiss he placed on Lee's cheek before he left the gala. 

What if one of them had moved the few inches required to make it a full snog? What if, instead of pushing him away, Lee brought him in and crushed Hop to his body with his strong arms, ravishing his mouth with his teeth and tongue. In the face of that kind of passion, all Hop would be able to do would be to open his mouth and moan against him. 

He gasped when his hand closed around his prick, slowly stroking. Lee would carry him off somewhere private, away from the gala and their prying eyes. Maybe a broom closet in the back or something. And there he'd kiss Hop, press him into the wall, and savored him however he pleased. Maybe Leon would suck him off, maybe he would have Hop do it. Hop would let him go inside if he wanted, just like Raihan had, except this would be good because it was Lee. 

He'd always secretly wished Lee would be his first, even though he knew it was impossible. Now that was taken away; Raihan saw to that.

Now that thoughts of Raihan had infiltrated, he couldn't help but think of the sick pleasure from that night, the way Raihan had pressed deep inside of him, pushing against his sweet spot. Hop wanted Lee's fingers there, rubbing him as Hop moaned his name. Then Lee's cock would slide inside of him after he was well prepared and lubed up. Through it all, Lee would capture his gaze, not letting him escape. 

Hop stroked himself faster, shoving his face into Lee's pillow. Lee would press his legs apart as Raihan did, hold his hips, and adjust his angle so that he hit Hop's prostate with each thrust. With Raihan, Hop stared at anywhere _except_ Raihan, anything to separate himself from the situation. With Lee, Hop wouldn't be able to look at anything else as Leon moved above him, his muscles playing underneath his skin. 

His orgasm crept closer. He briefly considered grabbing a tissue to catch the mess, but then decided he could just wash the sheets in the morning. He was too busy being fucked by his older brother in his mind anyway. Leon, who was probably similar to Raihan's build enough that Hop could imagine what it would feel like with some accuracy. 

Leon would nibble on his neck, leaving marks that Hop would treasure. His thick hand would wrap around Hop and pump him in time with his thrusts. In the real world, Hop clenched himself and gasped as his pleasure built on itself until his orgasm crashed over him, his moans muffled by the pillow. "Lee, Lee, oh gods, Lee," he heard himself say.

The bliss never lasted long enough. When it fell away, he was left with cold air on his sweaty skin, picking up the dregs of guilt and shame from masturbating to his brother. Which one was worse, touching himself to Leon or thinking about Raihan while doing it? What kind of sexual assault victim masturbated to the memory of their rape while just superimposing someone else over their attacker? Hop was disgusting.

Now Hop felt gross rather than the safety he usually felt when he crawled into Leon's bed when Lee wasn't home. Once his breathing calmed, he slipped out from under the sheets and made his way to the bathroom where he turned on the shower. His nose wrinkled as he washed the cum off his hand. He tossed Leon's shirt on the floor, suddenly feeling like he didn't deserve to wear it, and washed the rest of his body off. It didn't really improve his mood, but at least he could lay in bed next to Dubwool without feeling so self-conscious.

Dubwool was snoring away when Hop entered his room with a towel around his waist. The last time they slept in Hop's bed, he'd still been a Wooloo. Now he took up the vast majority of the mattress, but Hop didn't have the heart to push him off. 

He threw on some pajamas that had been left behind in his drawers during his Pokemon journey. Despite all of the rich foods he ate from city-to-city, the physical activity required to travel the routes had kept him the same size. Everything fit just as it once had. He sank down next to Dubwool and scrolled through his phone with one hand while the other was bent behind his head. 

There were two texts - one from Mum and one from Leon. Hop remembered seeing his phone get Mum's text, but hadn't read it. _Staying in Circhester 2night. We'll talk tomorrow. Love you, bby_ , it said. He sighed and tapped out a brief reply. He wasn't really disappointed about being alone in the house for the night if it would postpone their "talk."

The text from Leon was received at some point while during his shower and read, _Did you get back to Postwick ok? Miss you already_

The thought, ' _Sorry I jizzed on your sheets'_ , came unbidden to his head. 

What he actually typed was, _Yeah, I'm fine. Mum's out tonight. Just me & Dubwool _

A minute passed before he got a response. _You could've stayed here. You wouldn't have to be alone_

Hop passed a hand over his eyes. Leon had become more protective than usual over the last week, though Hop couldn't exactly blame him. Hop would be too if something happened to one of his loved ones. He'd rather Leon be worried over him than...not care at all.

 _I feel better now, but thnx_ Hop said. 

_You can tell me if you need anything, Hoppip_ , Leon said. _Goodnight, Love you_

Hop stared at those words. Love you. He already knew what kind of love Leon was talking about; familial and innocent. The love an older brother had for a younger sibling that didn't need romance or touching to be special. And here Hop had developed taboo feelings for him that weren't meant to be felt by another family member. It was a law of nature, a built-in fail-safe to guard against inbreeding. 

In other words, Hop was a freak on top of being disgusting. Tears welled up again for what felt like the hundredth time that night. He was lucky Mum didn't know what happened. She might straight-up blame him for leading Raihan on in some way. Because really, shouldn't he have been able to remove himself from the situation? Even if Leon said it wasn't his fault, Raihan had been Leon's friend for so long. Surely there must have been something Hop could have done to get out of that situation. 

It would be different if it were just some slimy bloke on the streets. Hop might not have felt so bad for Leon beating the tar out of him...or killing him. But Raihan was a prominent gym leader and their friend...and...

Despite his best efforts, a sob escaped him. Dubwool groaned and raised his head to peer over at him. 

"G-Go back to sleep, boy," Hop said. "I'm fine, just tired."

Dubwool grunted in response and raised his upper half upright on the bed. He leaned over and licked the tears off Hop's cheek. Hop tried to wave him away. "I-I'm fine! Really." 

He turned his attention back to Leon and typed out, _I love you too_ , before having Rotom put the phone to sleep. He curled up on his side, his back to Dubwool, staring into the dark, empty spaces of his room. It took a while for him to fall asleep. His muscles were tense, unable to relax. He just laid there, listening to Dubwool snore away. 

It was only after several long minutes that his eyes felt heavy enough to close. In the space between wakefulness and sleep, his guilt and shame faded, letting him imagine what things could be like with Leon in a perfect world, one where they weren't related by blood, free to be together. Or maybe in a world where falling in love with someone who had one too many similar genes to you wasn't a crime. Maybe them being brothers would somehow make it more special.

If Hop remembered these thoughts in the waking world, they would be ridiculous. But half asleep as he was, he imagined Leon as the one spooning against his back, pulling him close with thick, steady arms that would protect him against the world. 

And in a much stranger world, it could have even been Raihan, had things not taken such a wicked turn.

It was at some ungodly hour in the morning that Rotom chirped to wake up Hop. He grumbled and blinked against the darkness. 

"Sorry, I usually silence incoming calls while you're asleep, but this one is from your brother," Rotom said. "I thought you might want to know, at least…"

"Unnhh, seriously, Lee?" Hop groaned. He rubbed his eyes. 

"Shall I answer with a message and let him know you are unavailable?" Rotom said.

"No, I'm awake. Might as well put him through," Hop said. He rolled onto his back as Rotom floated above him. Just because his brother was calling at the ass-crack of dawn didn't mean Hop was obligated to look pretty for him.

When the picture patched through, it wasn't Leon he saw, but two huge, yellow eyes. 

Hop sucked in a breath. "What the...Lee?"

"Dreeeeeepy!"

Just when Hop thought he couldn't get any more confused, the eyes floated back from the screen to reveal a Dreepy's angular, green face. Not just one, but two faces. Hop inwardly groaned and rubbed his face. Dragapult's kids must have gotten a hold of Leon's phone somehow. Since Hop was the last one Lee must have messaged, they accidentally dialed him up. 

When the pair recognized Hop, they got excited and started chittering to each other. Then, Leon's voice came from somewhere out of frame. 

"Shh, we're talking. I gave that to you so you would hush," Leon said.

The Dreepies pretended to be contrite but still giggled. Hop was about to ask them to hand him over to Leon, except another voice joined in, sounding weirdly garbled.

Hop was too focused trying to make sense of what he was hearing to process any of the words, but he heard Leon say, "...with it as you did with everyone else. If I have to drop by and give the family my consolation, I will. We just need to arrange it." His voice was curt, dangerously low in a way Hop had never heard him.

The garbling returned, but this time, Hop thought he could pick out a word here and there. "...news van...one thing...A _maid_ found...body while she...What were...thinking?"

The Dreepies were floating around with Leon's phone to the point where it gave Hop a little motion sickness. When he finally caught a glimpse of Leon, it was to see him shrug. His hair was down and his suit jacket off. Since the Dreepies were behind him, Hop couldn't see his face or whoever he was talking to.

"He insulted my brother," Leon said, as though it was the most obvious explanation in the world.

The crackly voice sighed. Hop had been struggling to figure out why it sounded the way it did but then he remembered that cheap voice changer his Mum had given him for his birthday when he was eight. "You can't k...who just happens to annoy you."

"It wasn't like anyone noticed. The gala was long over by the time someone found the body," Leon said.

Wait, body? What body? What was he talking about? He suddenly felt very much awake, a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Can only...the police so far. They'll...suspicious, there's only ..I can do for you," the distorted voice said. At least, Hop was getting used to making out a few more words. It was piecing the meaning together that still evaded him.

"Don't you own them? They'll do what you tell them to," Leon said.

"I told you I would...only as long as you targeted...At least those are for good reason," came the reply.

Hop had to shut his eyes when the Dreepies started throwing the phone to one another in the air. His stomach was already turning from the things he was hearing (or what he thought he was hearing). The last thing he needed was to be sick before the sun rose.

He turned up the volume on his phone when the Dreepies' playing made it hard to hear more.

"Don't think...don't know...Raihan," the voice said.

"I had good reason," Leon said.

"I need...in one piece. Don't do...again."

"If he behaves himself, I-," Leon said. Suddenly, the audio was muted. Hop found himself turning up his phone just to make sure it wasn't on his end.

He heard the polite, chipper voice of Leon's Rotom next. "My sincerest apologies, Master Hop, but I don't think I should be letting you hear all of this."

"What's going on? I don't understand," Hop said, quickly.

"Yes, that's probably for the best," the Rotom said.

Hop sat up and gave his phone a hard stare as though that would convince the Rotom to cooperate. "If it's so important, don't you think it's something I should know?"

"Perhaps, but all the same..." Suddenly the Rotom was cut short when Dragapult suddenly appeared on the screen, looking frazzled. The picture must have still shown Hop, because his eyes widened before he grabbed the phone and the call ended.

Hop was left staring at the dark screen on his phone, his mind reeling as his brain tried to catch up with what just happened. The silence of his room pressed in on him, interrupted only by the pounding of his heart in his chest.

"What. The. Fuck," he said. The first thing he thought was that he wanted to replay that whole thing just so he could be sure of what he heard. "R-Rotom? You didn't happen to record all of that, did you?"

The large eyes of Hop's Rotom blinked at him. "I attempted to, but Leon's Rotom put out a signal that interfered. It deleted my files! I've never seen that before."

So Leon's Rotom...hacked Hop's? What else could it do? This was so bizarre. A chill rushed down Hop's spine.

"That doesn't sound like an ordinary Rotom," Hop said.

"You're telling me! If that one has some new hardware, I need an upgrade," Hop's Rotom said.

Hop rubbed his forehead, dropping his phone onto his blanket as his mind whirled. Somehow, the commotion hadn't woken Dubwool, who peacefully snored and farted on the other side of the bed.

"Oh, Arceus," Hop mumbled, climbing to his feet. "I need something to drink." He staggered downstairs to the kitchen in the dark so he could pour himself a glass of water. Turning in the lights didn't even occur to him, even when he sank heavily into a chair at the kitchen table and held his head in his hands.

Assuming that whole thing wasn't Leon's idea of a sick joke, it sounded like serious shit - the kind that involved _bodies_. Had someone died at the gala? He had Rotom do a search for any news, but none of the gala coverage involved the finding of a dead body or emergency services arriving at the hotel.

Part of Hop really wished he'd stayed in Wyndon now, just so he could question Leon about what was going on. But he had the feeling whomever Leon was talking to wouldn't like that. The person saw the need to use voice changing technology, they knew what Lee did to Raihan (though it didn't seem like Leon told them why), and this wasn't the first time they had spoken with Leon. What the hell was his big brother mixed up in? His Lee, his big, goofy bro with the dumb smile who got lost walking the straight line from the Wedgehurst train station to Postwick.

His brother, who tried to burn his bloody clothes, who wielded an ice pick in the middle of the night with a dead light in his eyes.

How long had this been going on? Hop wanted to know so he could tell how many years Leon had been keeping from him, their Mum, and his entire family. His mind couldn't help but go back to the text conversation he had with Raihan when he said that it didn't seem like it was the first time Leon beat someone within an inch of their life. 

_And probably beyond that_ , Hop thought with a knot tightening in his chest. He couldn't shake the feeling that the body at the gala was Leon's doing, as horrible and shameful as it was to imagine. The idea that Leon was capable of murder made Hop sick to his stomach. It was one thing for Lee to want retribution against Raihan for forcing himself on Hop, but it didn't sound like this victim had done anything to warrant being killed. As far as Hop knew, anyway...For all he knew, maybe the person had done something wrong. But did that really make offing them less despicable than killing an innocent person? 

Hop wanted to pray to Arceus desperately that Leon was not a cold-blooded murderer. Please, don't let it be true. Tears filled his eyes and he began hoping again that it was a prank or a bad dream. Leon had his Pokemon call his phone in the middle of the night when Hop would still be groggy and not skeptical and would call back tomorrow teasing Hop that he actually believed Leon had a double life of sorts. 

A double life...Hop was going to question when Leon would have had the time to do these things, but the more he considered it, the more he realized with horror that Leon was gone so much that Hop couldn't possibly know what he was up to in Wyndon. Apparently, it was more than just his Championship duties and Pokemon battles. Even at the gala, there had been a large chunk of time when they were separated. Leon could've been doing anything. 

And now...all Leon would have to do is look at his call logs to see that his phone had made a call to Hop. To hell with the call logs, Rotom could just _tell_ Leon that Hop was listening in. A new fearful chill crept into Hop's stomach. What would Lee do to him once he knew? He wouldn't...wouldn't silence Hop, would he? Not Leon, not his big brother. He flung his phone to the other side of the table as though it had burned his skin, eliciting an indignant chirp from Rotom. 

The silence of the kitchen pressed in on him. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Moving mechanically, he stood from the table and stumbled upstairs, suddenly wanting nothing more than to be with Dubwool. His eyes flicked over to the doorway to Leon's room. Just a few hours ago, he'd jacked off to the thought of Leon fucking him. Now he wondered if Leon would sooner wrap his hands around his throat. 

He climbed into bed next to Dubwool and wrapped his arms as far around his fluff as he could reach. He wasn't going to be getting any sleep that night, he already knew, not when his ears were attuned to every creak in the house and shadow that played across the wall. 

What would he say if Leon's Pokemon confessed that Hop heard the conversation with the mystery person and Leon confronted him? Just say that he didn't hear whatever it was clearly enough to know what they were talking about? That would have to be it. He had the feeling that giving the classic "I don't remember" excuse wasn't going to fly here. 

And then it hit him. He needed to tell someone. If not for his own safety then for the safety of Leon's next potential target. He could stay quiet, pretend that the phone call never happened, but Hop would know and he would spend the rest of his days wondering if Leon was off somewhere ending someone's life. 

Was he going to do it then? Was he going to turn Leon in? It was the same question as the one with Raihan. Were the authorities even going to believe him? He was a teenager who meant nothing accusing the beloved Champion of Galar of murder. There would be a scandal, there would be investigations. At least, Hop assumed there would be. In that bleak, morning hour when his shell-shocked imagination was running wild, it seemed anything was possible.

The worst part of it was, at any other time, if this had been anyone else that he suspected of committing a crime to this degree, Hop's natural instinct would be to _go to Lee_ to get his help, advice, and support. Even now, his first reaction was to go to Leon. It was like those times he had lost his phone and the first thing he wanted to do was text or call everyone to let them know that his phone was missing. His inclination was still to go to Leon when it was Leon who was the source of the problem. 

This could go downhill very fast if Hop didn't think this through completely. He'd seen enough crime shows to know what happened to a snitch. 

While all of this was churning in his head, he was staring into space until his eyes found one of the framed photos of him and Leon on his desk. They were together and grinning on a sunny day. Everything was so happy, an innocent time when none of this nightmare existed. His hands clenched in Dubwool's coat. 

"Lee," he whispered, his voice sounding small and broken to his own ears. "Lee, please help me. I need you." His Lee, the one he loved more than the whole world. He wanted Lee to come and put his arms around him, kiss his hair, and tell him everything was going to be okay. 

He couldn't do this alone, but who could he turn to for help? Mum? His grandparents? Would they believe him either? He needed someone he could absolutely trust to help him find some kind of evidence. 

He could think of someone, though he hated the very idea of dragging them into this. Who better to know what was going on if Hop suddenly disappeared? At least they could haul his lifeless carcass back to his family if the shit hit the fan. Some part of him wished they could talk him out of his paranoia. But it seemed he had no other choice. 

It was time to tell the twins everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The alternative to this chapter is Leon becoming aware that Hop is touching himself in his bed, flying on Charizard to Postwick, and then scrambling in through the window like, "Need help with that?" while Hop is bewildered. But then Leon just fucks him silly.


	11. The First Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How did he get this way?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Ohh, where to begin? Sexual harassment/assault towards a minor referenced (but it doesn't actually happen), paranoia, a very graphic murder, a little gore, and a detailed description of a panic attack. 
> 
> Please let me know if I should add any more warnings. 
> 
> Have fun! :D

It was the fifth year in a row that the young Champion Leon was the guest of honor at the Chairman's Gala. Somehow, he managed to convince his Mum to let him start growing out his hair. There were pictures from Kalos of Pyroars that caught his eye, inspiring him to want a regal mane just like theirs. The tabloids called him a king, after all. He was finally of age and Mum relented, saying he was old enough to make his own decisions so long as he "didn't let his hair turn into a Greedent's nest," but even she was surprised at how carefully he maintained it with his stylists.

The only one he ever allowed to touch his hair was Hop when he liked to tug on his big brother's locks and tease him.

Rose had Leon stand with him as the guests came up to introduce themselves. There were some big names - a CEO of a banking corporation here, the head doctor of the Motostoke Children's Hospital there. Few people got to rub elbows with the elite like this, but to a teenager whose main focus in life was Pokemon battles, it was boring as Giratina's hell.

His only saving grace was Raihan, who incidentally had lost to Leon for the fifth year in a row. Their rivalry was well-known across Galar and Raihan's following was steadily growing since he was now one of the lead trainers for Hammerlocke's gym. Rumor had it that the gym leader was even considering him to take over the position since his skill and knowledge with Dragon Pokemon were becoming second to none.

Plus, Raihan was easy on the eyes when he posted on social media. That might have something to do with the size of his fanbase. The cameras loved to have him stand with Leon for pictures.

But behind his smile, Leon suspected Raihan was hiding bitterness. He saw a glimpse of it now and then when Raihan thought no one was paying attention to him and Leon would catch him staring at him. It gave him a weird mix of triumph and guilt whenever he defeated his friend. He didn't feel that way when he beat Sonia in battle. Then again, Sonia had been in the gym challenge for the fun of it rather than any true ambition to get to the championship. There weren't stakes involved with her.

With Raihan, it felt like there were far too many stakes, even if Leon couldn't name them all. Something was up; something unspoken that Leon couldn't figure out for the life of him and it was driving him up the wall. He was beginning to understand how fame came in between friends.

When he had a moment to breathe away from the crowd of people wanting to shake his hand and propose another sponsorship, he snuck off to find Raihan. It helped that Charizard was willing to distract the reporters by posing and letting everyone admire him (the attention hog). After scanning the ballroom, Leon decided to check the balcony in case Raihan wanted to get some fresh air. His hunch was right. Raihan was leaning over one of the stone railings and watching glowing Morelulls drift over the garden.

"Are you really trying to escape the party?" Leon asked him.

"It was getting stuffy in there. Couldn't stand it," Raihan replied, only giving him a small glance.

"I dunno. I thought for sure you'd wanna get a dance with Piers," Leon joked. Though sometimes he _did_ wonder if Raihan actually had a thing for Piers, judging by the fact that he owned every single album Piers put out. Not that Leon cared who Raihan wanted to jump into bed with, he just thought it was funny.

Raihan scoffed. "I thought he left early. He likes these things even less than I do."

"Aw, come on, Rai," Leon said. "Everybody loves you! Just look at how many reporters wanted an interview."

"Yeah, about how it felt to lose to you again," Raihan said, pulling a face. "'Sides, that's easy for you to say, mate. You're the star here, not me." He stretched his arms before folding them behind his head.

Leon wanted to argue but found he couldn't find the right thing to counter with. Just the week prior, someone from an online tabloid wanted him to describe his morning routine step by step. They just loved prying into every facet of his life as the gorgeous Champion. He used to find it annoying when he was fresh and green. Nowadays, he found he liked it more often than not.

“You’re gonna have your own gym, soon,” Leon said. “That’s nothing to sneeze at.”

Raihan laughed through his nose. “Oh, yeah. Can’t fuckin’ wait.” There was an undertone there that Leon couldn’t figure out for the life of him. Before he could ask if Raihan was being sarcastic or not, Rai said, “Shouldn’t you be in there dancing with Sonia? I thought your Mum was trying to hook you two up.”

Heat flushed to Leon’s cheeks. “We’re not together! We’re just friends.”

Raihan was watching him more keenly than needed. “Sonia says you kissed her.”

“Wha? When?” Leon said, pulling a face and genuinely confused.

“Last summer in Wedgehurst,” Raihan said. “She said you were both visiting Professor Magnolia. It got late and you were looking out at that lake by her house. I can’t remember the name of it, but she said you leaned over and kissed her.”

Leon stammered. “I did not. Bloody hell, I may have kissed her cheek, but we weren’t snogging.”

“Why not? I thought you liked her,” Raihan said. It was customary for a couple of teenage boys to brag about their sexual conquests, but this didn’t feel like that. It felt more like an interrogation than teasing. Maybe Leon was just too used to invasive questions from the press.

Leon lightly punched Raihan’s arm. “I don’t gotta tell you.”

Raihan visibly tensed and said, “Come on, I’m not gonna tell anyone.”

“‘Cause I just don’t, alright?” Leon said. “I’m going back inside if you’re going to be a git about it.”

“Whatever,” Raihan said. Then he grinned lazily. “You weren’t really taking me seriously, were you? I’m just pullin’ your leg.” Things were supposed to be settled and light-hearted again, but there was a tension in Leon’s shoulders he couldn’t seem to shake, including when Raihan returned the punch to Leon’s arm.

"Yeah, right. You're still daft as a bush, though," Leon said, rubbing the spot on his arm.

"By the way, your Mum came through here a bit ago asking if I'd seen your little bro," Raihan said.

Leon's brow furrowed. "He wasn't with her?" Mum was insistent on Hop staying by her side at these things so he didn't get lost or cause trouble. She was probably going to give him an earful later. Suddenly, the tension in his body was replaced with another kind entirely. "I should probably go look for him. Thanks for the warning, mate."

"Need help looking?" Raihan said.

"Nah, I'll find him. Couldn't have gone too far," Leon said. In theory, that was the truth. Hop was still a child, but he should know better than to wander too far from the ballroom since that was where Mum and Leon would be all night. Hop was smart; he would have found a member of the hotel staff to help him if he was lost and scared. Leon himself was woefully prone to getting turned around in the huge building, but the place was filled with people who recognized him and helpful Pokemon to help him find his way. They would take pity on a kid like Hop.

He headed back into the ballroom, giving Raihan a nod in parting but his mind too caught up in worrying about Hop to say anything more. It was fine, everything was fine. The Chairman knew Hop, if Leon just told him they couldn't find his little brother, they could get help. Nobody would have the balls to grab the little brother of the Champion and drag him off somewhere.

The thought was supposed to be reassuring, but instead, it made Leon's heart pound. When the light from the sparkling chandeliers and Chandelures poured over him, he had never been so aware of how tightly packed together the crowd of gala attendees could be. Tall men and women in heels with fluttering ballgowns gathered in clumps here and there. It would be easy to lose Hop among them when he only came up to Leon's chest.

He took a couple of deep breaths to try and calm himself as he skirted around the table of hors d'oeuvres. Food usually drew in kids, even if it had more mature tastes. It was there he found not Hop, but Mum, who was nursing a glass of wine and dabbing at her forehead with a napkin.

“Oh, Leon,” she said, smiling brilliantly up at him. “Are you having fun, dear? I’m afraid I’ve lost Hop. He’s not with you, is he?”

Leon’s heart sank. He was hoping Raihan had been wrong and that Hop never wandered off. “‘Fraid not. Rai told me he was missing so I’m looking for him.”

“What a muddle,” Mum sighed. “I hate to trouble you.”

“It’s no problem,” Leon said. “I’ll bring him back.”

He ignored the sweat gathering on his palms as he parted from her and made his way around the ballroom. People still wanted to talk and toast him and he would be forced to politely decline and pardon himself because he was the Champion of Galar's Pokemon League and thus served as its face to other nations as a symbol of pride and skill and _where the bloody hell was Hop?_

He remembered Kabu and Opal's concern over his expression, but he didn't recall what either of them may have said. It was only when he nearly ran head-long into a Honedge that served as a greeter that he paused. It's ribbon caught him before they collided and its blue eye fixed on him above its scabbard.

"Yoouu...do noott loook wellll," it said. Leon forgot the hotel had trained their Honedge to talk. At any other time, he would be fascinated by it (enough to bring out his Aegislash so the swords could chat) but he had a pressing matter to attend to.

"I think my brother got lost somewhere and I need to find him," Leon said, aware of the sweat rolling down the back of his neck.

"Whaat dooess hhee loook likke?" the Honedge groaned.

"L-Like me," Leon said, wanting to peer down at his feet but finding he couldn't look away from the Honedge's gaze. "Purple hair, gold eyes, just smaller."

The Honedge said, "Hhee shaall bbee fouunnd," before it dissolved into a dark mass that melted into the ground and darted away. Leon swallowed, telling himself he wasn't unnerved, before starting on his way again. He walked a few meters before the mass bolted towards him and the Honedge reappeared directly in front of him, making him jump.

"The menn'ss restroommm," the Honedge said. "Witthh otherrs. Yyounng menn."

That didn't sit well with Leon at all. His hands clenched into fists. Hop wouldn't know many other people here besides his own family other than Raihan or maybe some of the gym leaders. If it was one of them, the Honedge would have called them by name.

"Thanks," Leon said, quietly, before he brushed past the Honedge and headed towards the bathroom. It groaned something else at his back as he strode away, but he didn't pay attention. It could have been nothing, it was _probably_ nothing, but worry had gripped hold of his stomach and wouldn't let go.

Uncaring of how it looked, he didn't let up his momentum as he hit the door, turning the handle and swinging it open hard enough for the edge to hit the wall behind it. At the other end of the restroom, next to the wall of sinks, a handful of guys around his age stood in a cluster. The impact of the door made them all look up at once in annoyance and bewilderment. The one nearest to him with a crew cut short enough to be described as fuzz, opened his mouth to speak but Leon beat him to it.

"What the fuck?" he said, stepping in and letting the door fall shut behind him.

"Lee?" Came a small, curious voice in between them. A small face with huge, golden eyes peered between their legs at him, not scared, but confused.

"Who're you?" the towering bloke above him said.

Leon ignored him. "Come here, Hop." There was no bullshit in the way he said it, either. Some of the boys sneered. Most of them were dressed in suits, but from the looks of them, that was an uncommon occurrence. They probably weren't used to being spoken to like that. With his adrenaline pumping high, Leon's hand inched closer to Charizard's Pokeball.

"We were just talkin' to him. It's no big deal," the lead bloke said. He didn't seem to want to move when Hop shuffled through the sea of legs to get out. Leon moved forward when Hop was clear, grabbed his arm and pulled him back behind him, positioning himself between Hop and the boys. Hop gave a little yelp and blinked up at him.

"We were just t-talking, Lee," he said.

"Yeah, see? Don't get arse-over-tit over it. We were just gonna make it a one-off," the bloke said.

Leon fixed them with a glare. "Stay away from my brother."

"'Ey, the Champion's threatening us," one of the others said. "We should tell the Chairman. We could get him sacked."

"I don't care," Leon said. "If you talk to him again, I'll find you."

Hop tugged on the hem of his suit coat. "L-Lee, come on. They were friendly." He said that, but Leon could clearly see more than one set of hands reaching for Pokeballs at the boys' belts.

"We're leaving, Hop. We're going to find Mum," Leon said.

"Momma's boy," another voice said, to a wave of chuckles echoing around the restroom. Leon's skin prickled with the urge to give each one of them a bloody nose, but he turned and guided Hop out of the restroom by his shoulders. He led Hop down the hall towards a secluded corner of the lobby and knelt down to his level.

"Lee..."

"Did they hurt you?" Leon said, his heart still pounding. "Did they touch you anywhere? Try anything?"

Hop was flushed, but it seemed to be more out of embarrassment of Leon's behavior. "N-No? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Did they try to touch you, like...underneath your clothes?" Leon said. His hands trembled with rage at the idea.

Hop's eyes widened in shock. "No, they didn't. They wanted to talk to me because they said I looked like you."

Leon relaxed, but only slightly. "Why did you leave Mum? She's looking for you."

A flush settled over Hop's small cheeks. "I had to use the restroom."

"Why didn't you tell her where you were going?" Leon said.

"I tried, but she was talking to someone and wouldn't pay attention to me," Hop said. He was peering at the ground. Leon rarely spoke to him like this and it was clear it was making him nervous, but Leon was still working off tension from the last hour.

"You should have finished and gone straight back to her," Leon said. "We've told you not to talk to strangers."

"I know," Hop replied, quietly. He wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and sniffed.

The awful anger swirling inside Leon's head broke at the sound and his shoulders dropped.

"H-Hop...Why're you...Don't cry."

"Please, don't hate me," Hop said, and Leon's heart broke this time.

"What are you talking about? I don't hate you. I could never do that," Leon said.

When Hop finally looked up at him, it was with eyes misted over with tears. "Then why a-are you mad?"

"I was just worried, Hop," Leon said. "I love you. If somebody hurt you, I..." Unable to really finish that thought in the face of Hop's expression, he pulled him close and hugged him. Hop wrapped his smaller arms as far as they would go around his torso.

"Really? You mean it?" Hop asked between small hiccups.

"I mean it, Hop," Leon said, gulping, "I just want you to be safe. That's all."

Hop nodded against his shoulder. Leon kept patting his upper back until his sniffles ceased and his breathing evened out. Leon had been so scared for Hop that he didn't realize he'd inadvertently scared Hop himself. Guilt hung heavy in his chest. "Come on, let's get you back to Mum so she can see you're fine." He released Hop and stood up. Hop's eyes were rimmed with pink from tears, but his face was dry.

Leon took his hand and led him back to the ballroom. He didn't let go as they circled around, eyes peeled for Mum. When they finally located her, she was fanning herself by an ice sculpture of a Snom. She tutted and came over to them.

"There you are, Hop. What did I tell you about wandering off?" she said.

"Sorry, Mum," Hop murmured, staring down at his shuffling feet.

"Well, it's a good thing Leon found you before you got into any trouble," Mum said. Leon bit his lip from telling her that a group of guys had been talking to Hop. He hoped his own words had convinced his little brother to be careful not to wander away on his own anymore at his age.

"Don't be too mad. I already talked to him about staying with you," Leon said.

"Well, he might listen to you better than he does me," Mum said.

Now that the excitement was over, Leon was developing a headache. He had just enough composure to see his family through to the end of the evening and into the Corvicab that would take them back home. Just before they took off, Hop stuck his head outside of the window and reached for Leon. "I'll miss you, Lee!"

Leon smiled at him and leaned forward enough to kiss his head. "I'll miss you too, Hopscotch. Be good, okay?"

"I will!"

The guests were clearing out slowly. Leon stopped by with the Chairman before he planned to excuse himself. He suddenly felt bone tired. Rose patted his shoulder and chuckled. "I've rarely seen a Champion with such promise!" he said. "I think you'll have all eyes on you, soon enough."

Leon tipped his hat to Rose. "Thanks, Chairman. No one's ever gonna beat me if I have my way."

Rose laughed one of his belly laughs that made the wrinkles at the edge of his eyes deepen. "I'm glad to hear it, my boy. Glad to hear it. Make us proud."

Oleana, Rose's ever-present shadow, glanced up from her Rotom. "Mr. Chairman, it's getting late. I'll take care of discussing business with the hotel manager if you want to retire for the evening."

"Ah, my dear. I may take you up on that," Rose said with a yawn. "Every year, my back hurts a little more by the end of the evening. Don't grow old, Leon."

With a couple more taps on her phone, Oleana added, "I'll have some acetaminophen brought to you as well."

Charizard took his place beside Leon, his eyes shining with stars from being adored all evening. He loved the limelight, possibly even more than Leon. His smug smile said everything.

Leon chuckled and turned to him. "Come on, ace. We should go home too." It was well past midnight. When Rose finally dismissed him, he passed on the offer to order a Corvicab. Charizard must have assumed that meant he wanted to fly home on his back since when they went outside, he lowered himself to allow Leon to climb on but Leon shook his head. "I wanna walk." There was no particular reason why. He should have been tired from being on his feet at the party, but he was restless. He wanted to walk and let his mind blank out for a bit. When he inevitably got turned around and lost his way, Charizard would be there to point him in the right direction.

Besides, his apartment wasn't too far away. It was a brief stint over the bridge and then down by the water's edge. The Chairman managed to get him a riverside place with a view of the stadium and Rose Tower beyond that. Leon woke to them every morning and at night, they were the last things he saw before shutting his eyes. Maybe there was some meaning behind it, but Leon didn't care enough to think about the matter too deeply.

Charizard straightened up. Leon held out his Pokeball. "If you're tired, you can go back in. I'll carry you," he said but was a bit surprised when Char just shook his head. At first, he couldn't figure out why, but the way Charizard staring at the long shadows cast by the streetlamps gave him an inkling. Neither of them was defenseless by any means, but even during Leon's Pokemon journey, Charizard had a protective streak for his trainer.

And who knew what liked to lurk in the shadows at this hour, even in a city that never slept like Wyndon.

The stroll over the bridge was only disturbed by the lapping of the river water beneath them. The moon was high, glittering off the surface. Behind him, Charizard yawned and Leon snickered. "I told you I would carry you."

He didn't get a hunch that something was off until they stepped off the bridge and got on the hedge-lined river walkway. One of the streetlights flickered, probably caused by the Lampent floating nearby and watching Leon's progress, but that wasn't completely it. It was a feeling that seeped into his skin underneath his suit jacket, a trepidation that the night wasn't quite _finished_ with him yet. It was waiting to play its final hand.

The cloud of Oddish leaf smoke hit him before he heard the laughter from the alleyway. It was the kind of loud, boisterous guffawing that said the boys were out-of-their-heads-high. He knew that smell from the times he took a hit or two with Raihan and Piers. From the looks of them, it was the same gaggle who "talked" with Hop in the bathroom of the hotel. Leon could recognize the accent on the bloke with the fuzz on his head anywhere.

He originally intended to just keep walking, no matter how tightly his fists were clenched at his sides. But then he heard, "Oy, it's the Champ!" along with a series of jeers that sent a chill up his spine. Charizard growled beside him.

"Easy, boy," Leon told him. "Just ignore them."

"'Ey, wait, Champ! Come back," the lead bloke said. "We jus' wanna talk. Wa-Was zat your bro at the hotel? Was it your little bro?"

"Sod off," Leon said to another round of cackles.

The lead bloke grinned over at him with lazy eyes. Smoke curled out of his lips as he took another hit. "Come on, mate. You can tell us. We didn't touch him. He was pretty, though. How old is he? Think you could get me his number?"

And Leon stopped because he couldn't ignore that. He turned towards the boys slowly, a shadow falling across his body as he did so. "What did you just say to me?"

The lead bloke didn't seem to have any idea that he was digging his own grave. He kept laughing between words, "Y-Your bro, your bro, Champ. The cute little Pichu. He was so f-fuckin' polite. I bet he'd be real obedient too if he was trained up a bit. Jus'...Jus' wanna get his number so I can show him a good time."

Behind him, the other boys were doubled over, laughing as though they were hearing the best comedy act in the world. They were all so high, everything was hilarious to an exaggerated level. All it served was to feed Leon's growing rage.

"He's _ten_ , you _sick fuck_ ," Leon said. His fists had started shaking by his sides.

" _Holy shit_!" The lead bloke just about collapsed with laughter along with the rest of the boys. "Tha's perfect! You gotta...You gotta start 'em while they're young, that way they don't give you any lip and they know jus' what to do, righ'?"

It was around this time he finally noticed Leon drawing closer to them, his eyes incensed from within until they were practically glowing in the dark. Charizard was on his heels, horns flattened and small flames licking out of the sides of his mouth.

And _still,_ they didn't sense the threat coming for them.

"Ohh, bugger me f-fucking filthy," the lead bloke said. "You've pro'lly started in on him already, haven't you, Champ? I can't blame you! When I saw his eyes, I thought I'd cream my-"

His nose gave a sickening crack under Leon's fist, his laugh turning into a groan of confusion and pain. Leon had thrown all of his weight behind that punch so that the bloke staggered back, clutching his face. A spurt of blood fell onto his shirt below his hand.

"OW, shit, bloody hell!" As he coughed, the other boys finally caught on that something was very wrong. Leon wasn't as tall as Raihan, but he had _presence_ that allowed him to tower over them. With Charizard behind him, the terrifying illusion was complete.

Leon was by no means a violent young man at this point in his life, but these boys had poked the Combee's hive one too many times and drawn out the Vespiquen.

The lead bloke glared at him as his boys started sending out their Pokemon. "You ain't s'posed to do that. We can let the Chairman know about this and get you fuckin' sa-"

That time, Leon backhanded him. The guy reeled but fell back on his foot. He had just enough strength and fury to lurch towards Leon, cursing up a storm all the while. He was thick and stout where Leon was muscled, the kind that relied on tackling another person like a wrecking ball and letting his girth do the talking instead of throwing fisticuffs. As such, he hurtled himself at Leon. He might've even made contact had Charizard not stuck out his head over Leon's shoulder and let loose a flamethrower that sent the bastard back into a couple of his mates with his suit catching fire.

They landed in a heap while a couple of the boys ordered an Obstagoon and a Scrafty forward. Of course they would have dark-types; guys like these gave the entire type a bad name. Piers would be pissed if he knew.

The Scrafty drew up its 'britches', clearly trying to pump itself up, but the more it sized up Charizard, the more it realized it was screwed. To its credit, it and the Obstagoon tried to send a couple of shadow punches Leon and Charizard's way, but Char just shrugged them off. He'd stepped in front of Leon by then. With a roar, he let loose his flame and floored them both. Going up against an angry Champion Charizard was never a good idea.

The owner of the Obstagoon spat at Leon's feet and raised a crowbar Leon hadn't noticed before. Not that he really cared; the adrenaline and rage in his system left no room for caution.

"Champ or not, yer fuckin' dead," the guy said. He swung the crowbar at Charizard, missed because he was high on Oddish leaves, and was headbutted by Char so hard that he dropped the crowbar as his innards were rearranged.

The crowbar clattered to Leon's feet. He bent down to pick it up.

The lead bloke had climbed to his feet. Blood streamed from his nose onto his tattered, burnt clothes. His mates were the ones to put out the fire by beating it down. His entire front was covered in red, blistered skin. On his chest and neck was a large patch of charred flesh that filled the alleyway with a sour odor.

The fact that he was awake at all was impressive. Someone smaller would be dead.

Charizard readied another flamethrower, but Leon just said, "Wait," and he obeyed. Leon dropped his suit jacket on the ground and rolled up his dress shirt sleeves. He wasn't himself anymore. His anger had given away to a pervasive calm that filled his mind and body. But there was also a growing urge that filled his hands. They wanted something more that words and Charizard's flamethrower couldn't give. Leon was barely an adult, but he was already standing on the edge of a cliff, getting ready to give in and plummet into his own inner darkness.

He knew it was going to happen; it was inevitable. The moment was waiting to arrive the more Leon thought of Hop's round, smiling face.

The lead bloke's voice was rough like sandpaper as he ground out, "I'll f-...kill you. Then tear...your bro open a...new cunt."

Oh, there it was...the shove that sent Leon over the edge into oblivion. The bastard made some obscene gesture with his hand, trying to mimic what he might do to Hop if he wasn't going to die in just a second. Still out of his mind on drugs and pain, he wasn't expecting Leon to step forward and raise the crowbar. The first blow from the sharp points embedded into the crowbar's curve tore open his skin. His eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness, but before he could fall over, there was another blow that cracked his skull.

His thick body collapsed. The third blow made the right side of his temple cave in, squelching in deep enough that Leon could no longer pull it out. The feeling that flooded through him was nothing less than _euphoric_ , on par with any Championship match he'd ever won.

It was then that he heard the panicked voices of the other boys. For all their tough talk, they were scared shitless and turned tail, disappearing down the alleyway. Leon was left in silence with Charizard and the fresh corpse below him.

Oddly enough, the bloke's phone had fallen out of his pocket and into the ever-widening pool of blood around him. Leon waited for it to float up and call emergency services, but it never did. He realized it was because it was a regular phone and not a Rotom.

For some reason, that was the thought that brought Leon out of his trance instead of any deep, philosophical reflection on the thin line between life and death. No, it was because the boy's phone wasn't possessed by a Pokemon.

Oh, shit, he killed someone. Oh, shit, oh, fuckohshitohfuckohshitohfucktheboywasdead.Hewasdead. The crowbar was still stuck in his goddamn brain and he was baked to a crisp, of course he was dead. He was dead because Leonkilledhim.

Leon staggered back straight into Charizard, lightheaded and beginning to shake. Did anyone see it? Yeah, those boys saw. They could call the constabulary on Leon. He was _fucked_. There was no going back from this. The boy was dead. His first urge was to go back in time and stop him from swinging the crowbar, but this wasn't a damn video game. He couldn't _do_ that.

 _Maybe the hospital could just...tape the bloke's skull back together?_ he thought, deliriously.

Charizard was shaking him, growling desperately, more out of concern for Leon than the boy. It was the second time Char had ever seen him freeze up, the first being when he witnessed Hop plummeting towards the ground after being dropped by that Drifblim so long ago.

"Char, we n-need to go," Leon said. His voice sounded very far away to his own ears. "We need to go." But he didn't move. His body wasn't working. Seeing this, Charizard dipped down and tipped Leon onto his back. He hooked Leon's arms around his neck and held them there before readying to take off.

"M-My jacket," Leon heard himself say. Charizard grunted and grabbed the suit jacket with his claws. His wings spread wide and they took off into the night air. The world dissolved into a blur of light and color. None of it actually stuck in Leon's mind, it was all just there. The lights existed, he existed. He was numb all over.

It felt like mere seconds before they touched down in front of their apartment building. The moment Charizard let him off his back, Leon bolted to the side door of the building. He slid his key card with trembling hands through its slit but was too eager in opening the door since it held tight and chirped at him irritably. With some colorful language, he tried again with much greater luck, dashing inside and up the stairs taking two steps at a time. Charizard was only barely able to clamor in through the door, let alone keep up with Leon. He growled in protest, but Leon seemed too caught up in whatever whirlwind was in his mind to turn back.

He flung the door to his place open, heart pounding, breathing hard, and slammed it shut before resting his back against it. Dribbles of sweat slid down his face. He slid to the ground as his vision blurred. He was fucked-fucked-fucked. It was over. His life was over. The constables would figure this out, everyone would know. Why didn't he just stop for two blasted seconds to think about what he was doing before he killed that guy? Because he _killed him dead_. You didn't recover from taking a flamethrower to the front and a crowbar through your skull. He was just so _angry_ hearing what those boys were saying about his sweet, innocent baby brother...what they wanted to do to him. His logic had shut off, all reasoning suffocated until all that was left was to hurt them before they hurt Hop.

That was no excuse for that, was it? He was just trying to justify it. They were just a bunch of stupid kids who taunted him and bit off more than they could chew.

He heard a thick body skid to a halt in front of the door and a scratching on the door. His hands gripped either side of his head. "Shut up, shut up! I can't think!"

There was a deep whine as Charizard tried to turn the door handle only to find it locked. Leon's teeth ground together. Please, let this all be a bad dream. He fell asleep at the gala in a chair somewhere from the excitement. He was going to wake up with Hop climbing onto his lap and shaking him awake, begging him to take him for a ride on Charizard.

Another whine, another sharp spike of pain through Leon's head. "Just...go away! I can't do this now!"

The whimper that followed sounded like it came from a baby Charmander rather than an adult Charizard. Did he understand what his trainer did, his lifelong friend? Leon gasped for breath, his body numb. It was all over.

There was another long, long moment before there was another sound outside the door, that of a heavy body slowly and reluctantly dragging itself away. Suddenly, an entirely new fear pierced him and he mentally kicked his own ass. What was he doing?! He was a mess as he flopped over onto his knees, throwing open the door.

"Char, Char! Wait, please!" He scrambled over to Charizard and flung his arms around his belly. Charizard stopped, growling in question. "Please- Wait, Char- I'm sorry, don't leave me. I'm sorry!- I'm so fucking scared. I don't know what to do! Just don't leave me alone!" He was blubbering desperately, almost incoherently. "I can't do this by myself, I'm sorry! Please-!"

Charizard thrummed anxiously and curled his arms and tail around Leon. It only brought small comfort to his shaking form, but it was comfort nonetheless. He was able to think slightly better, after some deep breaths. It was probably too late to go back and make sure there was no evidence that pointed to him. If passersby hadn't called emergency services, the other blokes surely had. He would only incriminate himself further by going back to the scene of the crime.

Because that's exactly what it was. A crime. Leon killed a young man, he was a murderer. He couldn't even claim self-defense when he was the one who dealt the first blow. Was there a law allowing someone to strike if provoked? He didn't know this shit! There was no reason to! He was that Champion of the Galarian Pokemon League, not a lawyer!

Should he get one, a lawyer, that is? Should he tell the Chairman? No, he may as well turn himself in if he did that. Turning himself in would be the right thing to do. But he was scared. His entire life was in danger of twisting on its heel. He would be arrested after the other guys told the constables everything. Their word against his. Would it really be enough to indict him? He was legally an adult which meant he could go to prison. His mother would disown him. Hop would

Hop would

be safe.

The thought was like a drop of water falling into a pool. Suddenly the turmoil ceased and his shaking began to still.

Hop was safe now. That tosser wouldn't lay a finger on Leon's little brother now. You couldn't hurt someone when you were dead. The other boys should have learned not to mess with Hop. If they didn't learn the lesson, they were true gits. Leon took a shuddering breath. If there was one good thing - just one thing - that came from all this, it was that he had protected his baby brother, just like he promised himself he would do all those years ago. Even if they locked him up and threw away the key, he didn't care. There was one less person in the world who would ever hurt Hop.

Leon stayed clutching onto Charizard on the landing long after the panic attack left him. Charizard didn't seem to begrudge him this when he apparently needed it. It was late enough when everyone else in the building was either in bed or out living it up, thus having no reason to be traveling the stairwell and disturbing them.

With his body feeling like it weighed as much as a Wailmer, he lifted himself slowly to his feet. "I-I'm sorry, Char. Let's go inside." Charizard made an agreeable sound and followed Leon into the apartment. Leon didn't care if he collapsed on the couch and slept for twelve hours. If he had to deal with the fallout of that evening, he could at least do it after some sleep when he could think with a clearer head. No matter what the consequences, he would deal with it.

Because at least Hop was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about this chapter, I actually went out to our driveway with a crowbar and practiced swinging it a few times so I could get a feel for it and where it might hit somebody. Good thing I live in the woods or people might be asking questions.
> 
> Twitter: @for_gotta  
> CuriousCat: for_gotta


	12. The Gathering Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hop talks to the twins and finds an odd tape among Leon's things. Raihan also gets a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Murder ment, implied murder, conspiracy theories, implied violence, actual violence, past rape ment, implied masturbation.

With paranoia and unease now seeping through the cracks of his world, Hop didn't get much sleep that night. When he wasn't staring at the ceiling and thinking up one morbid scenario after another, he was twitching in a restless sleep broken only by Dubwool's warm breath in his hair.

He was still exhausted by the time the sky outside of his window lightened. A light drizzle whispered against the glass. His head felt like his Pinchurchin had zapped it. Much as he would've liked, he knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep that night. Dubwool's snoring had been mocking him for hours. With a groan, he sat up and forced himself to stand.

After using the loo, he splashed water onto his face from the sink. He hadn't been crying, but his eyes were still rimmed with pink and the dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced. He wanted to come to Postwick to get away from his stress, not to be plunged right into more. How many life-altering truths could one teenager get before the universe decided they'd had enough? Though, if there was one mercy in all this, it was that he was too preoccupied with Leon to continue to be upset about losing the Championship.

It took about two cups of a strong, golden-tipped tea to get him in working order. Even then, he was still groggy. A quick shower made him feel somewhat more human. He was afraid to check his phone in case someone (Leon) had tried to call him.

Did Leon’s Rotom tell him that Hop heard that weird conversation? Hop worried at his lip. He hadn't been assassinated yet, so maybe there was more time than he thought. Eventually, Dubwool stumbled down the stairs and bothered him for breakfast. Hop had no appetite, but that didn't mean his Pokemon had to go hungry. He sat at the kitchen table with a third cup of tea cooling in front of him, watching as the rain made puddles on their little Pokemon battle court outside. The one he would watch Lee train Charmander on when they were younger. Hop used to stand on it and practice throwing a stuffed Pokeball, trying to mimic Lee's throw.

Things were way less complicated then when all he had to worry about was keeping Wooloo's hide clean and learn how to shave him for the scorching summer months. Mum would cook dinner for him and their grandparents. Everything was happy. Had Hop been a little less tired, he would have cried, but all he could do was muster up some vague sense of regret in the back of his mind. The rest of him just felt bone-achingly numb.

Maybe it was better that way, though. At least the numbness served as a buffer so he didn't have to experience the dread that plagued him all night. He was emotionally spent. Fucking...dreaded-out.

Too bad he really didn't have the time to sit there and feel sorry for himself all day. He needed to gather the brain cells to figure out a plan. He needed evidence to give to the authorities, anonymous or otherwise, that Leon (his Lee, his fantastic big brother, his hero and his idol...the one he loved) was a person of suspicion. Just considering all of that was enough to make him sick to his stomach. Considering his current state, he needed more heads than just his, hence why he'd wanted to tell the twins everything. That and he needed someone to know what happened in case he didn't return.

But...

That would put them in danger, right? It was the main reason why he wasn't over at their house right now telling them the whole story. He was well aware of how selfish he was being by dragging them into this. The last thing they needed was Leon and whomever it was he worked for getting them in their sights. So, was it really needed? Couldn't he just...tell them that something weird was going on and leave it at that? It might be worth a shot. In the growing daylight, he realized just how foolhardy he was being and how much he didn't want them hurt.

As he turned all of this over in his mind, Hop had to wonder...Why was he seriously considering turning in his own brother when he hadn't turned in Raihan, a man he only knew as a family friend and one who hurt him. Despite his standing and reputation, it was still a big deal.

But at that time, Hop had Leon to serve as a line of defense against Raihan. He didn't feel so exposed, plus Leon had dealt a punishment of his own.

Now there was nothing between Hop and Leon. If Leon had killed before, he could kill again. No matter what he thought, Hop didn't want to be the next person on his list. Plus, he was assuming that anything would be done at all to Leon legally. Celebrities had an uncanny way of sweeping these things under the rug, even something as big as murder. It just required the right words and the right connections.

Whether or not Leon's Rotom told him that Hop had heard what was probably a confidential call, time was of the essence. He couldn't afford to wait things out anymore.

At some point during this entire internal monologue, his Rotom phone chirped at him with a message. He'd been so distracted with his own thoughts that he wasn't expecting it, the vibration nearly made him jump out of his skin. Rotom smiled sheepishly up at him in apology.

The message was from Gloria. _Top o the morning! We r bored Wanna hang?_

_Sure, I have stuff to tell u guys anyway_ , Hop typed back.

_Brilliant, we're out back_ , referring to their house's patio which was protected by an umbrella against the rain. Steeling himself, Hop pulled on a rain jacket and grabbed a can of chilled tea out of the fridge. Caffeine would be his breakfast, then.

The rain had cooled the air considerably, the humidity clinging to his skin. Dubwool waddled out of the house sleepily behind him, his wool immediately clumping together when it got wet. Hop paused, sighed, and summoned him back into his Pokeball, not really wanting to deal with the towels and hairdryer he would need to dry out the Pokemon later. He would have had Dubwool just stay home, but...

Hop felt nervous without him. He didn't want to be alone and defenseless if someone were to come after him. Having Dubwool was better than nothing.

He made his way over the bridge between their houses and around the twins' Budew-filled yard to the back. Just like Gloria said, the twins were laid out on a reclining swing on the patio, curled up flush with each other to share body heat and...whatever else they shared. Gloria's Rillaboom was washing his viney hair in the rain nearby.

Victor raised a hand and grinned when Hop came into view. "There you are, mate! I'd say you should lay down with us, but you're all wet and not in a sexy way."

Hop snorted. "It's just my jacket." He peeled off said jacket and hung it over the back of one of the cast-iron chairs of the patio table.

"We were talking battle strategies so Glo can beat your bro," Victor said. "Got any tips for us? You know everything about him."

The timing of that statement couldn't have been more impeccably wrong even if they were in a movie. Hop had opened his can of tea and was in the act of raising to his mouth when he heard that, paused, and let his arm fall to his side. "Yeah...sure do."

"So?" Gloria said. "Tell us a secret that will help me best 'im."

"Um," Hop said, inwardly panicking. He wasn't ready for this. Pokemon battles were the last thing on his mind all morning. He fished around for something - anything he could tell them. Years and years of watching Lee on the telly and suddenly he couldn't think of shit. "He's...g-got a lot of ghosts."

Gloria had crawled to the end of the swing, staring up at him eagerly, but when he said this, she pouted. "Well, yeah, I knew that, ya bloke. I fought 'em. What else ya got?"

Hop worried at his lip. "He hits hard first, weakens you, and then demolishes anything left with Charizard."

"Tha's more like it!" Gloria phantom-punched the air and fell back down next to Victor.

"May as well send out Snorlax at the beginning to absorb some hits, then," Victor said.

"What about Ferrothorn? It can take the blows," Gloria replied. By then, Hop had sunk down on one of the iron chairs, staring out at the rain again. Rillaboom grunted and shook himself off before coming onto the patio and eating some berries in a nearby basket. "Oy, mum was savin' those...Eh, m'too lazy to stop you."

"Wasn't there somethin' you had to tell us?" Victor said. Hop turned to find Vic watching him curiously.

The question caught him a bit off guard again when a moment prior, they were talking about battles and berries. What a way to kill the mood by bringing up all the grime from the last week.

"I-I don't think it's a good idea to talk about it out here," Hop said.

Gloria cocked her head. "What's it matter? It's just us and Rillaboom."

"Still...it's probably best we take it inside," Hop said. Not out here, where he felt naked and exposed like a thousand ears were listening. He shivered and crossed and hugged himself.

"Eh, alright," Victor said. He heaved himself off the swing and stretched before shaking Gloria out after him.

This was just a normal day for them, wasn't it? Unease roiled in Hop's gut as he thought about spilling everything to them. It wasn't too late. He could abandon ship, run home, go into hiding and apply for an expedited passport. He could be in Sinnoh by the time Leon came looking for him.

But then Rillaboom scooped him up from his chair and carried him inside under one of his thick arms. Hop had just enough reaction time to keep his canned tea upright so it didn't spill.

"Hey! No need for that!" he protested.

Gloria snickered somewhere nearby. "He's just givin' you the royal treatment 'cause you're the Champ's brother."

Apparently the royal treatment included being bodily carried throughout the house and past the kitchen where their mum gave him a courteous, "mornin', Hop!" They finally lumbered into the twins' bedroom where Rillaboom deposited him on Gloria's bed. The twins themselves came in after, letting the door fall shut behind them. The inside of the house was only slightly better than the outdoors at first in terms of feeling like he was exposed, but then Hop remembered the poster of Leon doing his Charizard pose on the wall above Victor’s desk and nearly lost his resolve right there. Victor sat backward at his desk chair while Gloria sat in Rillaboom's lap, letting him groom her hair like a father monkey. 

"Come on, Hop, you're keeping us in suspense," Victor complained. "It's bustin' my balls."

"It's...It's kinda hard to explain," Hop said, rubbing his face. He was stalling, it was painfully obvious. Compared to this, he would have willingly weathered another sleepless night. 

"Just start from the beginning, then," Gloria said. 

Hop took a drink from his can and held it with both hands with his elbows resting on his knees. He took one breath, then another, then he opened his mouth to speak. "I think Lee killed somebody at the Gala last night."

The twins stared at him blankly. Hop could see the gears turning in their heads as they tried to figure out what to do with this information.

"The ‘ell are you talking about?" Victor said.

Hop swallowed. "I think...Leon killed someone. I don't know who or when, but...his Pokemon accidentally called me last night. I overheard him talking to someone, and..." He shrugged. "They were like...scolding him about leaving a body behind?"

"So his phone Pokedialed you and...when was this?" Victor asked.

Hop bit his lip. "It was at...three in the morning, I think? I wasn't really looking at the clock."

Understanding replaced the confusion on Gloria's face. "Sounds like a dream, mate. Mr. Handsome Himbo can't find his way outta a paper bag, let alone do someone in."

"Wha- N-No! It wasn't a dream," Hop said, heat blooming across his face. It couldn't have been a dream - he'd been awake for a while afterward. And then he laid back down with Dubwool and was too scared to sleep. 

"How can you be sure, though?" Victor said, picking at his teeth with a fingernail. "Yer bro isn't the type to do someone in."

Hop knew that, deep down, or thought that it was always what he'd known. If it wasn't a dream, it was terrifyingly vivid. He remembered the pounding of his heart in his ears and the beads of nervous sweat that slid down his face.

But his Rotom phone chimed in at his side, saying, "Actually, I can vouch for him on this one. I couldn't record the conversation because of interference, but I can confirm that the call received at 3:02 AM and proceeded much as Hop describes."

A weird mix of relief and dread filled Hop. Relief because at least he didn't dream or hallucinate the conversation due to stress and dread because it all really happened. Leon spoke with somebody about having murdered a person at the gala. It was _true_. Hop wished he knew who and why, but the news hadn't covered anything yet.

His can of tea suddenly felt too heavy in his hands. He set it on the carpet between his feet so he could clutch his hands together.

Victor rubbed the back of his head underneath his hat. "But...when did he have time? I thought he was with you most of the night."

"He was," Hop replied. "Except for when he went to talk with the Chairman and...when I had a row with him and Mum. Or after I left, I suppose." And considering he doubted that someone could drop dead in the middle of the gala without some kind of ruckus being raised, it would have to be at some point while Hop was on the balcony or after Hop had gone with the twins back to Postwick. In other words, Leon had ample time. 

Gloria leaned forward in Rillaboom's lap, frowning. "Does all that mean...yer not mincin' words with us? This isn't a prank?"

Hop's face snapped up to meet her gaze. "No! Wh-Why would I joke about something like this?"

This time Gloria shrugged. "'Cause our champ is a funny git and you'd follow him anywhere?"

Well, Hop couldn't argue with that. Leon acted like a dumb, handsome goof at times and he was pants with directions...But the more he thought about things in light of last night, the more he wondered if even that was all an act. The possibility turned his insides to ice. How much did he honestly know about his big brother? Leon was raised to put on a face for the cameras, be charismatic, and appeal to the crowd. Did...Did he do the same for his family too? 

Was the man Hop had fallen in love with actually Leon or someone else? 

"I'm not f-fooling anyone," Hop said. "The last time I talked with him was when he messaged me last night making sure I got back in one piece."

Victor tapped on the back of his chair as though a thought just occurred to him. "Oy, this don't have anything to do with Charizard almost grilling you, does it? He looked pretty pissed to me. Your bro didn't send him to eat anyone, did he?"

That...was a good question, but Hop shook his head, "Char wasn't going after me, he was going after-" He stopped himself. "Um...s-someone else. I don't know what for." Did they need to know the bit with Raihan? It wouldn't help anything, would it? He flushed with humiliation at the thought of baring that side of the story to them. He was still disgusted with himself for fantasizing about Raihan and Lee while wanking.

In any case, it was becoming obvious that words alone weren't going to convince the twins of his story.

"Look, what if it wasn't Lee we were talking about? What would you do if someone you loved did something bad?" Hop said.

The twins glanced at each other. "Well, if Vic killed someone, I guess I'd have to 'elp him bury the body."

Hop barely resisted the urge to facepalm. "Preferably something that doesn't involve becoming his partner in crime," he added.

A flash of familiarity crossed Victor's face. "Hey, that's the same thing you asked while camping, mate. About someone doin' somethin' bad. What the 'ell is going?"

"Th-That was for something else," Hop said, his face heating. He really, really didn't want to tell them about Raihan if he didn't have to.

Gloria leaned even further out of Rillaboom's lap, supporting herself with her hands on the floor and forcing the Pokemon to try grooming her sweater. 

"Wait, there's more to th' story I don't know about?"

"Nope, there's not," Hop said, quickly. His phone lit up with a message and he brought it around, his heart unable to stop pounding. He couldn't deny his relief when he saw it was from Mum.

_I'm home, where are you?_

In reply, Hop typed, _At the twins'. Coming home now_ , and stood.

"I'm gonna go meet Mum," he said.

Gloria rolled his eyes. "Yeh'd rather go back to her than tell us the whole story?"

Anything if it meant he didn't have to tell them about Raihan.

Victor hid a laugh behind his hand. "First time I heard that."

“Ha, ha, ha," Hop said. "I just wanna keep her in a decent mood. We...kinda had a row last night." He pulled on his rain jacket and buttoned it up.

"Yeh know where to go if yeh need to get out of the trenches," Gloria said.

"Sure do," Hop said.

By then, Victor had dragged the chair over to his desk and was waking up his laptop. "Don't get shanked by yer bro," he said over his shoulder.

Hop managed to hold back a wince with his hand on the doorknob. "I'll try not to, but if you don't hear from me by the end of the week... I'm probably dead!" he said, only half-jokingly. He heard the twins laugh all the same.

Once he stepped outside, he took a breath and set off down the road back home. The rain pattering on the hood of his jacket only did so much to cover the buzzing of his thoughts. So, the twins didn't believe him. Hop could understand why - it was a huge stretch of the imagination to think that their kind, charismatic Champion might possibly be a killer. Not the person who visited children’s hospitals and raised money for the Pokemon Rescue Foundation. Hop wouldn't have believed it himself, not once in a million years. He would have punched the person who accused Lee of any wrongdoing.

But he'd seen it with his own eyes, traces of what Leon was capable of. There was probably a reason he hadn't been turned in yet. He was good at covering up his tracks and getting rid of the evidence. He didn't just throw his bloody shirt in some random Wyndon dumpster, he burnt it. Had he used Charizard to get rid of anything else? Did he...burn bodies that way?

He gasped and lowered his face under his hood. "I don't know what to do..." he said into the wet air. Maybe if he got his passport now and started out on Corviknight that evening, they could be in another country before somebody came after him.

He didn't expect for Rotom to reply.

"You need evidence if you're going to finger someone else and implicate them in a crime," Rotom said.

_Actually, you don't need much to finger somebody_ , said a voice in his head that sounded too much like Raihan's. Hop shuddered and clutched his jacket tighter around himself. Why was he thinking about that bastard so much? He had nothing to do with Hop and Leon any more.

Except...all of this started with that night at the Rose of the Rondelands.

Raihan did...that to him, he told Lee, Lee beat up Raihan and then all this came out. Considering he knew nothing about this before the day of the Championship Cup, Leon was really good at keeping his deadly dealings a secret.

...And then Raihan attacked Hop and it felt like all hell was breaking loose. If Hop had never gone to the hotel, he would still be blissfully oblivious to whatever Leon did as a side gig. If he'd never told Leon the truth...If he'd never gone with Raihan...If he'd just given in to him from the beginning.

In other words, this was all his fault. No matter what anyone said, every decision he made led to where he was now, stopped in the middle of the bridge in the cool rain, sick with anxiety and despair. Maybe he should just give himself over to Leon, considering he wasn't good for much else other than making things worse. His older brother might get rid of him, but he had the crawling feeling that it would be doing the world a favor. He'd never be able to match Leon's accomplishments anyway.

"Hop?" That was Mum's voice from the front porch underneath the lamp. She was peering out at him, calling through the rain. "What are you doing just standing there? Get in here! I've got the kettle on!"

Hop didn't respond, but his body moved on her command until he was at the front door. As he hung his jacket up on the hook to dry, she was talking to him, but he only caught bits of it through the haze in his head.

"Circhester is beautiful but so cold this time of year!" she said. "...glad we moved to Postwick. Better than Wyndon, too..."

Hop just stood inside of the door clutching at his elbows, shivering slightly at the feeling of the bottom of his wet jeans clinging to his skin.

"...go wash up," Mum said. "I got a basket of scones from the station. Come back down and we'll have tea."

Just as she headed back into the kitchen, Hop said, "Have you heard from Lee today?"

She paused and tapped her chin. "Can't say I have. Is something wrong?"

"...No." Without another word, Hop went up the stairs to change his clothes and wash his face before joining Mum in the kitchen. He had no appetite to speak of, but she'd already set up a plate with a couple of scones and a cup of tea for him, so he sat and listened to her talk and forced down what he was able.

"That reminds me," she said. "I was going to talk to you about something, wasn't I?" Hop glanced up at her while she took a sip of tea. "For the life of me, I can't remember what it was. I was tipsy for most of last night. Do you remember?"

Staring down at the chunk of scone in his hand, Hop shrugged. "Nope."

"Hm, well, it couldn't have been too important then," Mum said. "Did you have fun at the party?"

"Mm-hm."

"That's good, dear. I'm glad." Mum stood and took their dishes once they were both finished. "Maybe next year, you'll make it as a finalist. Then I'll really be able to brag to Ethel the next time I visit Stow-on-Side" She laughed to herself. "Well, if you need me, I have a few calls to make."

"Okay..." Hop said as she slipped out of the room, leaving him sitting at the table exactly as he was earlier that morning.

Rotom gave a small chirp in his pocket and slid out to peer up at him. "I found some info that may interest you while you were with your mother. Is this a bad time?"

Hop shook his head, staring at the surface of the kitchen table. "'S as good as any."

"I ran searches for any news on a death at the hotel, but nothing came up other than a staff member who overdosed on drugs at the gala while hiding in a broom closet," Rotom said.

Hop had the distinct feeling it had nothing to do with drugs at all, but he gave a single nod in response. "Do you think...that's the guy Lee killed?"

"Certainly, we're not the only ones to think something weird is going on," Rotom said. It pulled up what looked to be a series of forums on its screen. "While not naming the Champion exactly, there are a number of users that think this death is the most recent in a string of suspicious deaths across Galar."

Hop frowned, a dull pain settling in between his temples. "How do they know that? What if it really was just an overdose?"

"That’s the thing," Rotom said. "According to a handful of people listening to the police scanners at the time the staff member's body was found, the constables were able to identify immediately that the cause of death was strangulation via an electric cord. The overdose story only started to appear later."

Strangulation with a cord...Something like that was sure to leave an obvious, deep welt in the person's neck. Hop's fingers touched the soft skin of his throat absentmindedly. The Galarian Constabulary could be inept sometimes, but even they would be able to tell the difference between someone getting strangled versus them overdosing on drugs. Which meant they didn't want the death to look like a murder.

"They...wanted to cover it up," he whispered. And the only reasons why the authorities would want to keep the murder a secret would either be to keep the reputation of the Chairman's Gala and the Rose of the Rondelands spotless...or to keep the murderer's identity a secret. Particularly a high profile murderer. Hop swallowed. "Does...Does anyone think it was Lee?"

"Oh, there are all kinds of theories out there, even about the Chairman himself," Rotom said. "But at least one user has brought up the Champion. Not many."

Because the rest were silenced. Or discredited. Let the internet think whatever it wanted, but it wouldn't do to have too many arrows pointing to the truth.

"Who else do they think Lee killed?" Hop said. The words sounded wrong the moment they left his mouth.

"Hrmm, the list of his potential victims includes, but it not limited to: the CEO of Galarian Mining Operations as well as a couple of prominent foremen, the CEO of the Galarian National Bank, the Headmistress of the Galarian Orphanage Association, the head doctor of the Motostoke Children's Hospital, two separate ambassadors from Sinnoh and Unova, respectively, and a candidate for the position of the Chairman of the Galarian Pokemon League," Rotom said. As it listed off the victims, a small picture of each was pulled up on Pokepedia. "Every one of them died from circumstances with discrepancies between autopsy reports or coverage of their deaths. I could go into detail if you'd like."

"No...it's fine..." Hop murmured. He didn't have the constitution to hear any more about how Lee may or may not have killed all of these people. It was like listening to a storybook, none of it was real. It sounded like the ravings of a lunatic conspiracy theorist trying to drum up hype to get attention or pull off the biggest scam in history. All of these were well-known people. If they were murdered (and by the same person, no less), there was no way the law would be able to ignore shit like that.

Unless they were covered up too. All of them were fucking covered up. 

"Wh-...Why would Lee want to kill any of these people? It doesn't make sense!" Hop was gripping the edge of the table in a white-knuckled grip. If he wasn't, his hands would be shaking out of shock and anger. Anger at the audacity someone had to be throwing these bullshit accusations towards his brother. 

"Why indeed," Rotom said. "Nobody knows. They have theories, but none of them are concrete. The most common strand is that the Champion was either on-site or nearby around the time the deaths occurred."

"They can say whatever they want on the internet. It doesn't mean anything," Hop said. Even now, even after hearing everything during that bizarre phone call during the night, he was still compelled to defend Leon. "Him being there doesn't prove anything."

"Unless that's what they want us to believe," Rotom said.

Hop rubbed his temples and sighed. "Rotom, I'm not a detective, I can't figure this shit out."

"My apologies," Rotom said, sheepishly. "I have a soft spot for true crime."

Not moving his hands from his face, Hop sat there, simply breathing, trying to sort out the truth from the lies in his head. His headache was only growing to the point where he was seriously considering taking painkillers to kill it before it became unbearable.

And then in a brilliant moment of association, Hop's brain connected the idea of painkillers to the bottle Raihan left for him the morning after their night in the hotel. Raihan, who claimed to be so in love with Lee that he couldn't bear the thought of anyone coming between them, not even Leon's little brother; who was still apparently in love with Leon despite being on the receiving end of his killing rage. Hop wondered what he would think about all of this, knowing what Leon might have been doing behind their backs this whole time.

Hop laid his hands flat against the table and pushed himself to his feet. "If the police are covering all of this up, going to them would be useless, right?"

"Mmm, you have a point," Rotom said, deflated. "Perhaps...not all of them are corrupt?"

Hop just hummed a bit in response. It was only late morning but all he wanted to do was crawl back into bed. Considering that he was back at square one, the idea of going to sleep and restarting the whole day was tempting.

He put his phone to sleep as Rotom took to perusing the internet again. He was still counting the lack of communication from Leon in his favor. Not that he would put up much of a fight if someone _did_ come after him. By this time, he was drained both mentally and physically. He may as well get some rest in case things really went downhill later.

At least, that was his plan before he reached the top of the stairs and his feet once again automatically took him over to Leon's bedroom. The only difference was that this time, wanking was the last thing he felt like doing. Maybe he just wanted to feel something familiar...or convince himself that none of it was true after all. The sheets on Leon's bed were still rumpled - good thing Mum hadn't noticed. He'd intended to wash them last night but when his emotions caught up with him, all he'd wanted to do was shut down for a while. If he did it now, Mum would just wonder why he was washing Leon's sheets when he hadn't visited in weeks.

So, he just went over and straightened them out as much as possible and made a mental note to wash them when she went on another business trip. As he straightened up and peered at the rest of the room, a roll of thunder swept over the house and his eyes landed on one of Leon's tall bookshelves containing some recordings of his matches and some events he was apart of. Hop had watched each and every one of them and could probably tell you the contents just by looking at the covers alone.

Before he could stop himself (his body was running on autopilot an awful lot lately), he'd gone over to run his index finger over them. All of these were probably on the internet by now, but there was some footage that was difficult to come by even for the most dedicated of Champion Leon's fans. Take the tournament between the Galarian League and the Johto League from a couple of years ago, for example. Most of the notable matches were up on Mimikyutube, but some of the interviews would've been lost to time were it not for the disc under his finger. He slid the case out and made his way back to his room to feed it into his computer. The menu screen was the most generic white-text-on-black-background you could imagine. Hop could definitely tell why this one didn't get a larger release.

He sorted through the clips and scenes until he found one with Leon and opened it up. Part of him wanted to remember what Leon looked and acted like before this whole mess began. The rest of his room was dark with the glow of the screen serving as the only light. He rested an elbow on his desk and rested his chin in his palm as he watched a couple of reporters shoot questions at Leon about his opinions on the tournament. He looked so vivacious with that grin smacked onto his dumb, pretty face. 

He couldn't remember where he'd heard it, but someone mentioned once how Leon never seemed to give a full smile for the cameras. He would laugh, sure, but there was something missing, the joy never seemed to reach his eyes. Hop thought they were daft at the time for saying that as he couldn't imagine his older brother as being anything but vibrant and bursting with enthusiastic confidence.

...Except once the idea was planted into his brain, he couldn't help but see it too, the next time he saw Leon during an interview. It bugged Hop to no end how he hadn't seen it before and he started to worry that something might be wrong that Leon wasn't telling him. Well, he knew better now, but back then, he assumed it had something to do with the stress of being the champion. Hop tried him if everything was alright, to which Leon would shrug and say Hop worried too much while ruffling his hair. That he brushed Hop's concerns off so easily drove the young Hop up the wall, but seeing that Leon seemed much happier when he was back home and actually wearing a sincere grin while he was with his family made Hop feel better. 

Back on Hop's computer screen, Leon was answering questions about how he predicted the tournament would go. For once, he wasn't one of the competitors, but present for an exhibition match against the Johto Champion. Otherwise, everyone would just assume Leon would win the whole thing, as always. 

"According to our insider sources, you've got a younger brother, is that right?" the Johto reporter asked, sticking her microphone ever closer to Leon's face. Damn, Hop apparently forgot he was mentioned in this video.

He just gave a good-natured chuckle and said, "I can't imagine who your sources might be, but that's true." Something like a glimmer flecked his eyes. 

"I heard he's old enough to get his trainer's license soon. Do you anticipate he might get good enough to join the Pokemon League in Galar?" The reporter continued. 

"I don't see why not. He's already got a Pokemon he's bonded with," Leon said. He'd given Hop his Wooloo by that point in time.

The reporter brightened. "Oh! So he'll have a good starting advantage, then. Do you ever anticipate the day when he might face you in battle?"

Hop stopped rocking his chair on its back legs like he usually did when his mind was wandering. 

"Now that would be a real champion time if I've ever heard of it!" Leon said, with another spark of life. 

Yeah, a real Champion Time that would never happen now, not with Hop having talked up his game and then crashed so spectacularly at the end. He beat all eight gyms and got all the way through the semi-finals, which would be awesome by everyone else's standards. But he didn't just want to be a finalist. He had wanted to be the _Champion_.

As all of this was running through his head, the reporter got a notification that her co-host from another part of the stadium was going to be joining their feed. The screen was split with the lady reporter and Leon on one side and her fellow Johto co-host on the other. 

"I couldn't help but hear you talking up a new challenger," the newcomer said. "I wonder how the new generation of trainers from Galar compares to our league."

"Ah, pretty formidable, I should say," Leon said. "At least they will be if I can help it."

Both reporters seemed to take this in stride. There was nothing wrong with a little friendly competition between rival leagues, right?

The newcomer chuckled and said, "Well, I'll be eager to see if your brother is up to snuff next to our talent here in Johto. It would be a shame if he disappointed your prediction. You'd have to eat those words, then!"

The fuck kind of reporting was this? These guys had to be from a talk show rather than any kind of reputable news station for them to be throwing out those kinds of barbs so casually. Try as he might to shake off the words, they still stung so soon after the gym challenge. Hop could take a joke, he hated to think he was sensitive enough to take offense when the reporters were obviously fooling around, but his pride was still smarting. Oh well. This interview happened years ago and probably no one remembered it.

"Toma, that's so mean!" The lady reporter laughed. "What if there are Galar challengers watching this?"

"Hah! It's nothing they won't be hearing in the league," her co-host said. Toma was his name, Hop guessed. 

Just as he was seriously considering shutting off the video and going to get a soda to help heal his injured pride, Hop caught sight of Leon next to the lady reporter. He was standing as casually as before with his arms folded and the wind playing with his hair and cape, but he'd gone very quiet.

His eyes had narrowed a tad and he was focusing a bit too intently at some random point on the ground. Someone not paying attention might have missed it in favor of watching the reporters' exchange, but Hop tended to fixate on his brother frequently even if there were Voltorbs self-destructing in the background. Hop was unnerved, seeing him like this, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why. Maybe because he expected Leon to just laugh the comment off and throw a jab back like he would do when he was with Hop.

Certainly, neither of the talk-show hosts seemed to pay his sudden silence any mind. There was some announcement over the loudspeaker which prompted the lady host to grin at the camera. "That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is our cue for a commercial break. This is Muffy from Chatot Chat! When we come back, we'll bring you more live footage from the Sunflora Tournament right here in Johto! Would you like to say anything else to our viewers, Champion Leon?"

She stuck her microphone right underneath Leon's nose. With experienced ease, he lifted his head and grinned. Like night and day, a switch was flipped, any tension or dark look in his eyes gone.

Hop had never seen anything like it, even when he saw his big brother step in front of the public before, even when Leon was having a bad day. This was different - a switch from cold and calculating to the cheerful himbo that Hop knew and loved. It sent a shiver down his spine. 

Leon reached up to hold the microphone steady in front of his mouth. "I say stay tuned if you want to be in for a Champion Time!" Both of the co-hosts and anybody in the vicinity who heard immediately clapped and cheered him on. 

"Do the pose!" someone shouted, to which Leon obliged to even louder applause. Once, Hop would have clapped happily, maybe even laughed with the surge of excitement and adoration that went through him when he saw Leon doing his thing, but this was different. 

The moment when the broadcast would have cut to a commercial break, everyone relaxed. Muffy dropped her thinly-veiled act and rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, I need some Schnapps," she said. "This is gonna be a long day." The feed from her co-host had already vanished from the side of the screen. 

The grin from Leon's face had vanished as well. "Mm...Which station did you say you were from, again?"

Muffy waved her hand vaguely in the direction of one of the observation decks. "The Chatot Chat, Channel 72 on the tube, every Wednesday night." One of the show's film crew came over to go over her nose with a Jumpluff powder puff. "Do you think you could get me a coffee, Janet? Get the Champion one too."

"H-He's left already, miss," the assistant said. Sure enough, once the camera had been put on standby, Leon had gone off-screen without so much as a word of thanks for the interview. That wasn't like him at all. Maybe he was just tired, Hop rationalized. There was no reason for him to keep watching now that Leon was gone, but something made him stay. 

"Oh, bullocks, do you know how hard it is to get that one alone?" Muffy said. "I need more interviews if we're going to make time on this special."

"There's always the Galar dragon-type gym leader," the assistant said. "I just passed him. He's got quite the following, I hear." A touch of pink dusted her cheeks.

Muffy sighed in irritation. "Fine, he's no champion, but he'll do."

Oh fuck...Raihan was there too. Hop's breath caught. This was apparently a high-end tournament. The date stamp in the corner of the unedited camera feed was for a bit less than three years ago. Racking his brain, Hop could barely remember Leon mentioning he had a trip to Johto. Hop would have been in his last year of trainer school. Was he just too busy to recall this particular tournament? It had to be one of Leon's lesser-known TV appearances. 

Muffy gestured to the camera-operator and they uprooted to follow the assistant's lead. Hop skipped forward a bit in the video, unwittingly going right to the point when the crew had already nabbed Raihan and were talking to him. Just looking at him...Hop recoiled a bit. It was the same type of outfit he wore from the night they were together. Same hoodie, same shorts, same headband, same slitted eyes. He could almost envision the way he'd peeled his clothes off before holding Hop down. His heart pounded so much he missed the first bit of the interview. 

"...looks like it's movin' like clockwork," Raihan said with his hands interlocked behind his head and a casual smile.

"Do you think you're chances of winning the tourney are better since Champion Leon is _not_ competing?" Muffy asked. 

"Well, I don't plan on returning to Galar empty-handed, if that's what you're asking," Raihan said. His smile widened until his fang glinted. Hop was suddenly too aware of the fading bruise on his chest where Raihan bit him. Muffy went back and forth with Raihan longer until another announcement on the intercom summoned Raihan to his next match. Muffy and her camera crew went back in search of more interviewees, at one point trying to contact her cohost with her headpiece. 

"Toma, did you see the bit with the dragon guy? _Toma_. Oh my god, _why_ is that bastard making this so difficult? Janet, go see why Toma isn't answering me," Muffy said. "This was supposed to be easy. If he muted me, I'm gonna punch him." 

Somewhere behind her bright blue and black coat, Hop caught a glimpse of Leon's purple mane of hair stride by. Something was different, but it wasn't until the cameraman pointed him out to Muffy and she hurried to try and him Leon that Hop realized what it was. His cape was missing. That in itself wouldn't be too odd if Hop didn't know for a fact that Leon _never_ took off that heavy thing unless he was in battle. He may have taken it off because it was too hot, but everyone was wearing jackets and track pants (except for Raihan who wore shorts all year). 

"Champion Leon!" Muffy called out, slightly out of breath. "Would you be willing to answer a couple more questions?"

But Leon just waved and shot them a quick grin. "Sorry! Can't talk. Been called by the Chairman..."

Anything else they said was static in Hop's ears when he caught sight of Leon's sleeve. It was so brief that Hop had to back up the footage by three seconds and slow it down so he could get a better look. He just had to pause the video on just the right frame and...there. 

A red splotch on the short sleeve of his uniform. It wasn't there before right? Hop went back to Leon's earlier interview with Muffy, his heart pounding, stopping when he got a full few of the same sleeve - perfectly clean. He went back to the frames with the red spot. There were about fifteen minutes of unedited video between the two points that included the short interview with Raihan. This meant at some point, Leon was forced to take off his cape and somehow got a splash of color on his shoulder. 

Fuck, Hop was imagining it, right?

As he reached up to rub his face, his other hand nudged the touchpad, allowing the footage to continue. There were only thirty seconds left of Muffy asking the cameraman for ideas on who they could talk to next before she stopped and reached up to her headset. 

"Hold on, Janet's calling me. Yeah, where the hell is Toma? I swear if he went out to take a hit, I'm gonna..." she trailed off, listening to the other side. Her face turned from exasperation into a frown. "What? The fuck are you talking about?" Another moment of silence before she looked over at the cameraman with wide eyes, pointing a manicured fingernail at the lens. "Cut the feed. Now. Cut the-"

The video ended, automatically flicking back to the menu screen. Hop's own shocked reflection staring back at him. Shocked because there was _no way_ Hop just saw what he thought he saw. 

"Rotom? Rotom?" Hop fumbled for his phone. 

Rotom blinked sleepily, apparently woken from a nap. "Mmyez?"

"I need you to do a search for a guy named Toma from the talk show Chatot Chat in Johto," Hop said. 

"Searching now!" Rotom said brightly. Words in a search engine flashed by on its screen. "Mm-hmm. Mm. Oh! Oh...uh..."

"What is it?" Hop said, his stomach sinking. 

"Well, I was about to show you the Pokepedia entry for Chatot Chat, but an obituary for Toma came up first. I hope you didn't want to contact him," Rotom said. 

Shit.

"Wh-What's the date of the obituary?" Hop asked. 

The answer Rotom gave him was dated three days after the date stamp of the tournament footage. 

"Oh, Lee, no..." Hop breathed. "Is...Is there a cause of death listed?"

"Not in this entry," Rotom said. After more screens flashed by, it continued. "Nowhere else, either."

"Is there any connection between his death and the Johto Sunflora tournament a couple of years ago?" Hop said. 

"Funny you should say that," Rotom said. "The name Toma was among those listed on the conspiracy website I told you about. One of the Champion’s rumored victims."

Double shit. It was a good thing Rotom was floating in front of Hop because if Hop had been holding his phone, it would be shaking. 

"Is there any footage of Lee at that tournament? Any video at all?" he said. 

Another pause. "That’s a negative. There are videos, yes, but none with Champion Leon," Rotom said. 

"No videos from the Chatot Chat from that tournament?" Hop said. 

"Afraid not. Chatot Chat stopped broadcasting soon after the tournament. Is there something I should know about?" Rotom said. Rather than replying, Hop played Rotom the same video he just viewed. Hop imagined sweatdrops forming all over Rotom's screen. 

"Oh my...Ohh my...Yes, I see what you mean," Rotom said. It ran more searches, too fast for Hop to see clearly. "That video isn't archived anywhere that I can see at present. Shall I try to search for it using a Wayback machine?"

Hop shook his head. "No...It's...probably all been taken down." Deleted from every site it could possibly be found. There wouldn't be many people with the means and money to do something like that unless they had an impressive range of influence. Every copy of it was destroyed except for a single file on an unremarkable disc shoved into a shelf in the Champion's childhood home. 

All because it revealed what looked like Leon killing someone within the span of fifteen minutes during a live, international event.

It wasn't the best evidence - circumstantial at best, but something told Hop that any concrete evidence had most definitely been swept under the rug. Hop just couldn't figure out _why_. Why would Leon kill some random host of a talk show? Because he talked shit about Galarian trainers? Was it a hit? None of this made sense! 

Leon was willing to kill someone random like that, but he apparently didn't want to kill Raihan for attacking Hop. Again, he wondered what Leon would have done if it was just some rando who grabbed Hop and dragged him into an alleyway. There might not be anything of the person left. It was sickly sweet.

Hop pressed his palms to his eyes. This was probably as close to evidence as he would get. He could submit this to the authorities and pray that it opened up some kind of investigation. If he did it anonymously, no one would even know it was him. He could tell the twins what he found but...

But with how dire things looked, it might be dangerous for them. Let the consequences fall on Hop. If Leon wanted to come after him...he would run. 

"R-Rotom..." Hop began slowly. "I want you to rip the video into your memory if you can."

"Of course! Does this mean we're submitting it somewhere?" Rotom said. Its nervousness was spoiled by the excited sparks it gave off. 

Hop rubbed his hands over his face, finally sliding them off his chin with a sigh. "Yeah. Yeah, we are."

~

Raihan spent most of his recent evenings smoking on the couch in his darkened apartment. Dark because he couldn't stand catching sight of his bruises and scars in the reflections of the windows, the TV, the bathroom mirror, anything like that. His stab-wounds had stopped bleeding long ago; now he just wore bandages to keep them clean while they healed. Why had no one bothered to create the human equivalent of a Pokemon Center? 

Well, he kinda knew the answer. Pokemon Centers worked by renewing the energy and data of the Pokemon while they were stored in their Pokeballs. Or something sciencey like that. If humans wanted to be healed by the same means, they were going to have to come up with a way to catch humans in Pokeballs which opened up a brand-new ethical rabbit-hole that he didn't have the energy to dive into.

Like he was one to think about ethics anyway. Just look at all the shit from the last week.

He wasn't lying to Hop when he said the kid was all he'd been thinking about. He remembered every second of that night at the hotel. He remembered letting Hop leave his room in the morning, never intending to stop him or keep him there. He hadn't slept a wink that night. After leaving Hop to sleep in the bedroom, he tried to rest on the couch without luck, so he stood on the balcony and looked over the city for hours until the sky lightened. He knew the moment Hop had left, not blaming him for his silence. To let him go back to Leon was inevitable, even if there was a chance Hop would tell him everything. 

Why'd he done it? That was a great question he didn't even have an answer to. He didn't hate the kid, he hadn't been planning on hurting him when he took him back to the hotel. Hop just...looked so much like Leon and Raihan was starved for his rival. So, like a man in the desert searching for an oasis and finding a pond, he took what he could get. 

Sheesh, that wasn't doing Hop justice. That kid was brave. Brave to pick himself back up and brave to confront Raihan at the gala. Raihan saw his eyes shine just as brightly as Leon's.

Leon should have killed him that night. It would be a mercy compared to this. He was at a loss as to what the fuck to do now. Just go back to his gym and pretend everything was normal? Sometimes, when he lay in bed ruminating, he wondered if it would be easier just to off himself. But his Pokemon were keeping an eye on him as if they could tell his sour mood was getting to him. Even now, Sandaconda was resting on top of him, laying lengthwise over his body.

They couldn't save him from his thoughts, though. The knowledge that Leon hated his guts now weighed heavily on his heart. Thinking of Leon was often too painful, so Raihan thought of Hop instead. Leon, who had owned Raihan's heart for well over a decade whether he knew it or not. Damn his handsome mug, damn him for making Raihan sick with both jealousy and lust at the same time. He wanted to beat Leon in battle _just once_ with the same intensity as he wanted Leon to wrap him in chains and have his way with him. He'd let Leon use him as a fucktoy if he wanted. 

Ashing his cigarette so it didn't fall from his lips and burn the place down, Raihan let his head fall to the side to doze off. It was a sudden movement and a growl from Sandaconda that jerked him out of his sleep. 

The first thing he saw was Leon above him, leaning over the arm of the couch behind Raihan's head with his hands pressed into the fabric. 

"I told you what would happen if you spoke to him again," Leon said, levelly.

"Fuck!" Raihan was catapulted into reality, scrambling to get off the couch from underneath Sandaconda. Sandaconda slithered off of him and faced Leon head-on, the sand in his tail rattling in a warning. "How did you get in here?!"

Leon straightened up and gave a nasty laugh with his hand on his forehead. "I still have the key to your apartment, you son of a bitch. You never asked for it back. I helped myself to my apartment key you still had on your keyring, by the way. You're not stepping foot in there again."

That answer was obvious. They'd swapped keys years ago, Raihan was just too tired to think. 

Leon glanced down at Sandaconda and then up to Raihan. "I ought to chop your dick off now. Were you going to touch him again, huh? I thought you were smarter than that."

Despite himself, Raihan's hands shook at his sides. "He came to me at the gala, I didn't go after him. Hell, I went outside so we wouldn't run into each other by accident."

Leon reached over to fist his hand in Raihan's hoodie and jerk him close. Leon was shorter, but his rage made Raihan wilt. Sweat prickled on the back of his neck. "Don't you _dare_ blame him." 

Sandaconda hissed, but Raihan shushed him. "I'm not blaming him for shit. He came up to me and said he wanted to talk."

"About _what_?" Leon demanded, fairly snarling by this point. 

Raihan felt his blood drain from his face. "I don't know...just stuff."

Leon's knuckles struck across his cheekbone when he was backhanded. Raihan clutched at the spot, breathing hard. "Don't you FUCKING lie to me!"

If he wanted to, Raihan could easily push him off, tell him to piss off, sic Sandaconda on him (who was none too happy about Leon hitting his trainer). But...Raihan didn't want to fight back. The strength was gone from his limbs. Leon's hands were on him. Arceus, Raihan loved the pain when it was Leon. Remembering the night his rival beat the shit out of him was nothing short of orgasmic. 

"H-He asked me why I fucked him," Raihan said. 

Leon jaw clenched, disgust radiating off of him. "And? Why did you?"

"...I don't know."

Leon shoved him backward with enough strength to knock him to the ground. He coughed, his backside stinging. His back was still sore from the last beating. Sandaconda coiled in front of him with another hiss. 

"So you fucked my little brother for no reason. Do you know how scared he was when he came to me?" Leon said. "He didn't want to tell me it was you. I had to get it out of him. Guess he was worried you'd come after him." He spat to his side. From the pocket of his jacket, he withdrew an ice pick. 

_Gods, yes, stab me again_ , Raihan thought deliriously. 

Leon peered down at Sandaconda. "Get out of the way. You're not the one I'm after." Sandaconda just narrowed his eyes, his tongue flicking out. 

"I know he was scared..." Raihan said. "He thought I was gonna kill him." He caught the way Leon's golden eyes flashed. "But I couldn't do that."

"Why did you _hurt him_ , then?" Leon's voice was rising dangerously loud. The walls of Raihan's apartment building were a lot thinner than those of the hotel. "You couldn't kill him, but you didn't have a problem _raping_ him."

Raihan shook harder with misplaced anger and dread. "I won't hurt him again," he rasped.

"Damn straight, you won't," Leon said. He made to reach for Raihan again, but Sandaconda bore his teeth. Leon chuckled wryly. "They're loyal to you to the end. Do you think he knows what you did?"

Raihan lowered his gaze to Sandaconda. "Get back in your ball." The Pokemon clearly wanted to refuse, but the look Raihan was giving him left no room for argument. 

With Sandaconda out of the way, Leon loomed over Raihan. "I'm giving you one more chance to tell me why you touched him before I sink the sharp end of this thing through the piercing in your-"

"Because he's IN LOVE with you," Raihan blurted out when the tension in him finally snapped. He wasn't sure what made him say it, but now that it was out, there was no taking it back. 

Leon's eyes glinted in the silence that followed. It stretched on, feeling like an eternity before Leon breathed, " _What_...did you say?"

"Because he's _in love with you_ ," Raihan hissed. Because knowing that Hop wanted Leon too made jealousy eat away at Raihan in a way that shouldn't be possible. Hop already had a bond with Leon that Raihan would never have, but that wasn't enough; he wanted to shag his big brother too.

Leon's fingers closed around Raihan's jaw, gripping him hard enough to bruise. Raihan felt the tremble in his hand. "Are you fucking with me?"

Hah. If only.

"Why would I lie to you, _babe_?" Raihan sneered. "He straight up told me, sure, but it's pretty bloody obvious if you ask me."

Leon shoved him away, making Raihan's bones rattle in his head with the force. Raihan worked his jaw as he watched Leon stand and turn away from him. He'd been hoping Leon would react with revulsion at the confession, but this wasn't it. Leon was slipping away from him, Raihan could feel it.

"I-I'd do anything for you, you know?" Raihan said, almost pleading. He took hold of the leg of Leon's pants as though to keep him there.

"Shut it," Leon ground out.

"I mean it," Raihan continued. "Ever since we were kids..." His heart broke a little when Leon jerked out of Raihan's desperate grasp. But it was the look on Leon's face when he glared down at him that really sunk the invisible knife into his gut.

"You should have thought of that before you fucked my little brother," Leon said. Without another word, he strode away from Raihan towards the front door of the apartment. 

Raihan reached after him, his eyes stinging with tears. The Great Raihan, Master of Dragons, was going to cry. "Lee..."

Leon didn't spare him so much as a backward glance as he let the door slam behind him on his way out. The darkness pressed in from every corner of the apartment. Not having anything else to do, Raihan punched the floor. Twice, three times before his knuckles started to ache. His tears rolled off his face and plopped onto the shitty hardwood. 

His cock had been hard ever since Leon struck him. He was crying, but he was still fucking hard. Out of want for anything else to do, he tore open the front of his pants. The sound he made when he clutched himself could only be described as an anguished groan. His body hurt. His heart hurt.

It was a good thing that he loved pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another member for the "I got murdered by Champion Leon and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" club. Also, I have no idea how to write accents.
> 
> Thank you SO much for reading! Your feedback gives me encouragement to keep this thing going. 
> 
> Twitter: @for_gotta  
> CuriousCat: for_gotta


	13. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two brothers, two different times, pretty much the same problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Blackmail, paranoia, panic attacks, murder ment, blood, grooming (not the Leehop or Raihop), masturbation, incest, drugging.
> 
> Dragapult was described as a female in an earlier chapter. I've changed it to male, not only because that's what the official sex is, but because the image of a Daddy Dragapult carrying his kids around is CUTE.

**One day after Leon's first kill**

The night Leon killed that bloke by the Wyndon River was colder than he realized, even with his suit. Charizard was by his side, warming his body, but his partner couldn't do anything about the block of ice encasing his gut. Because while the thought of Hop's safety brought him out of near-hysteria, it didn't make everything go away.

Every minute that past, he expected a call, a knock on the door...well, he supposed that if the rest of that gang told who murdered their leader, the bobbies would just ram his door rather than bother knocking. It was just a matter of time.

He rolled himself up in a blanket like a protective cocoon after stripping off his suit and laid in bed in the dark. Charizard was curled around him and his presence at least anchored him to reality. His phone sat abandoned near the foot of the bed where he'd tossed it away when a notification made it vibrate and nearly scared him out of his skin.

Rotom just gazed over at his pitiful figure. "You know, Master Leon, it was only a post on Cinderacebook."

"Mm...Has...the news picked up on anything yet?" Leon mumbled.

He heard Rotom hum to itself while checking all of the news and social media sites it had access to. "Well, the body has certainly been discovered, but nothing points to you as of yet. The bobbies haven't even identified him yet."

_Only a matter of time._

"What about his gang?" Leon asked.

"No mention anywhere," Rotom said. "Perhaps they've scuttled back into whatever hole they came out of. It wouldn't do them any good to accuse you, eh wot? You're the Champion. In a battle between your word and theirs, I believe you would trump it. Just say it was self-defense."

"I attacked first," Leon said, flatly.

"Well, they don't know that."

That was true, but it only made Leon feel a little bit better.

"Are you going to sleep? Shall I silence any incoming calls?" Rotom said.

Leon was about to tell him 'no', but then he stopped and thought. All he was doing right now was torturing himself. If somebody wanted to get to him, then there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He was the goddamn Champion, people knew what he looked like, even if he were to try to run. Either someone was going to come for him or they weren't. If he stayed up all night, he'd be a zombie come the morning.

"Yes. Unless it's the Chairman," Leon said. He may as well act normal if he wasn't under suspicion, and that included going to work, even if work was the last thing he was in the mood for. Just smile for the cameras.

Just smile for the cameras.

He still couldn't figure out what came over him to kill that boy. At the time it just...made sense. The things he was saying about Leon's little brother made Leon see red until all rational thought was smothered by an insistent need to make the guy _shut up._ The thought that he'd already tried to get close to Hop at the gala enraged Leon until he needed to make sure it never happened again. The bloke wouldn't see Hop, talk to him, or **touch him** again. 

And from there, everything happened as naturally as breathing. It was awful as it was _right._ It was cruel and good, the crushing of an opponent in defense of what was precious to Leon. He didn't regret it, not in the slightest, which should've been most worrying. He regretted that there was a risk of being discovered and having his whole life crumble around him…

But if it protected Hop from perverts and sickos who would do unspeakably revolting things to him...Leon would do it again.

Charizard sighed in his sleep, letting out a curl of smoke from his nostrils. 

"Show-off," Leon grumbled. He wished he could be asleep so he didn't have to think. There was a bottle of Shiinotic Sleep Powder in the medicine cabinet. If anything could knock him out, it was that. But that would require unraveling his cocoon and walking to the bathroom. For some reason, exposing himself to air made him nervous, as though there were a hundred people in his apartment watching him, just waiting for him to move until they closed in.

"W-Wait, before you put yourself to sleep...c-can you get my sleep powder?" Leon said. 

His Rotom smiled down at him. "Of course, Master Leon," it said before darting off towards the bathroom. He normally didn't have his Rotom do little stuff like this, preferring to be self-sufficient, even when the Pokemon had the exact same tone and mannerisms as a butler. But right now, he didn't dare budge. The only movement he made was to accept the bottle of sleeping powder from Rotom's invisible arm and sprinkled a couple of pinches under his tongue. He was tempted to down half the bottle just so he could be sure he'd fall asleep, but that would probably kill him.

He couldn't die. Hop might need him.

Despite his frayed nerves, the powder made his eyelids heavy and he dropped off to sleep sooner than he would have otherwise. His dreams were filled with terrifying weirdness (a byproduct of the evening), but he couldn't remember any of it when the sound of Rotom's chirping disturbed him after what felt like a few minutes. All that was leftover was a looming dread as he cracked open his eyes. The powder's effects were still in full swing, trying to drag him back down into sleep. 

"My apologies for waking you, Master Leon, but the Chairman wishes to speak with you. Insistently, I might add," Rotom said.

There was something Leon was supposed to be worrying about, right? In the space between being asleep and awake, he couldn't think of what it was for the life of him. Maybe if he didn't try to remember it, it would go away.

"Master Leon," Rotom prodded. "I'm afraid this cannot be ignored. If you're having trouble waking up. I can administer a minor electric shock to get you going."

Leon's response was to mumble something unintelligible and yawn. He really wished that whoever was talking would shut up so he could sink back down into the mattress where he belonged.

Rotom sighed. "Right, right. This won't hurt a bit." There was a humming sound that soon generated a fizzle somewhere above Leon, who only had enough energy to passively wonder about it. "Administering shock on the lowest voltage. I'd move if I were you, Master Charizard. Terribly sorry."

After a moment in which Leon fully intended to go back to sleep, a tingling current went through him starting from his shoulder where Rotom had stuck him with a wire. It wasn't strong enough to hurt, but it scared the hell out of Leon. He yelped and scrambled out of the blanket. Beside him, Charizard shot to attention before relaxing when he saw there was no danger.

"No! No, fuck- what?..." It was strange to have his head be so fuzzy and dead underneath the adrenaline. 

"Ah, good, you're awake," Rotom said, withdrawing the wire. "I don't recommend keeping the Chairman on hold for much longer."

"Chair...man," Leon gasped. 

"Yes. Transmitting the call now," Rotom said.

By the looks of the beginning light in the sky, it was just after dawn. Despite the early hour, Chairman Rose was impeccably groomed. Nobody knew how he managed to go from a fashion failure when he was incognito to a dignitary in no time at all.

In contrast, Leon was in a very crumpled suit and barely conscious. 

"Good morning, my boy. Sleep well?" Rose said with his half-smile and kind eyes.

Leon opened his mouth to reply, realized his mouth was incredibly dry and tried to swallow in a sad attempt to wet it. It was like swallowing sand. "Uh...Yeah, I did." Actually, he had maybe two hours of sleep from a glance at the clock. His heart drummed a rapid rhythm as he tried to keep it cool. Rotom hadn't given him any sort of time to prepare.

"Good, good," Rose said, his smile not budging an inch. "Now, I know that I normally give you a day to unwind after the gala, but there's a matter that I'm afraid needs our immediate attention. And I mean _immediate_. I'll need you to come to my office."

Leon's fingers tensed in his sheets. "S-Sure, Mr. Chairman. I j-just need to change..."

"Don't bother. Come as you are," Rose insisted. "We can get you a change of clothes here."

Leon was about to reply when, somewhere off-screen, he heard Oleana say, "The taxi has arrived outside of the Champion's apartment." 

Rose glanced at her and then back to Leon. "Excellent! If you haven't figured it out, Leon, that taxi will bring you here. You'll make your way down to it post-haste, won't you?"

Now the dryness was creeping from Leon's mouth and down into his throat. There was something chilling about the Chairman's demeanor, even if his expression displayed only patience. Maybe it was just Leon's paranoia and sleep-deprived state making him imagine it, though.

Please, Arceus, please let that be the case. Leon would actually start praying again if it meant that this meeting was about a new sponsorship or a new uniform. Just, please...

Don't let the Chairman know.

Forcing a smile underneath the dark circles around his eyes and his messy hair, Leon said, "Will do! See you soon."

The second the call ended, however, he breathed, "I'm fucked."

"Now, now, mustn't jump to conclusions until we know the details," Rotom said, helpfully.

"I'll be in jail by the time we know the details." Leon rubbed his eyes in an attempt to sober up. "Do you think they'll let me see Charizard in prison?" Charizard let out a puff of smoke when he snorted. 

Well, there was no sense in keeping the Chairman waiting. Maybe he was wrong and nobody knew he killed somebody based on the fact that his apartment hadn't been raided by the bobbies. Leon slid out of bed and grabbed only his keys and his wallet on his way out the door. Just as Rose said, there was a Corviknight taxi waiting for him just outside the front door to the apartment building. The Corviknight ruffled its steel feathers as it peered down at him curiously.

"Morning, Champion Leon," the driver said, brightly. "Lovely day for it!"

The lovely day was actually covered in a thick layer of unrelenting, gray clouds that covered Wyndon for half the year. It seemed appropriate, given Leon's mood. He didn't think he'd be able to take people on the streets singing their way through a sunny day. As they flew over the river and towards the glistening tower, he chewed on his lip and rolled Charizard's Pokeball between his hands. 

To his surprise, Rose and Oleana were at the base, waiting for the taxi to touch down. His stomach did a flip at the sight and even more so when he felt the cab thump on solid ground. The driver opened the door and stepped aside for Leon to climb out. The rising sun reflected off of the glass exterior of the tower and shined directly into his eyes, causing a stab of pain through his head. 

Okay, so that was probably karma.

Rose held out a hand and gestured for him to come closer, which he did, only barely resisting the urge to lower his face and hug himself self-consciously.

"Look at you. You must have had some fun at the gala, eh?" Rose said, smiling down at him. They were the same height, but Rose was _always_ somehow peering at him from above. "Oh, what's that on your collar? Did someone spill wine on you?"

Leon frowned and pulled at the fabric of his shirt so that he could see what Rose was referring to. Then his blood ran cold. There were flecks of red running the length of his collar bone up to his shoulder. "H-uh." His mouth was left hanging open as though it knew he should be speaking, but the words were dead. The splatter from the crowbar shattering that bloke's skull went further than he thought. Of course, he was too caught up in the moment to notice it.

His forehead broke out in sweat as he glanced up at the Chairman. Both he and Oleana were waiting patiently for an answer. Leon had to pull himself together and fast. All for the audience. "W-Wine. Yeah, i-it's wine." There was no way it looked like wine. Wine spilled down, not up, for one thing, and the spots were too dark.

Rose's eyebrow raised a tad. "Well, that's a shame, isn't it? We'll have to get it cleaned out."

Oleana gave a brief nod in response. "I'll make the proper arrangements, sir."

"Thank you, my dear," Rose said. He hadn't looked away from Leon once. "If you'll follow me, we'll go to my office."

He wanted to feel relieved that Rose seemed to be buying his story, but it was too early in the game to relax. Rose's shrewd eyes weren't giving him the luxury.

"Y-Yes, Chairman," Leon replied before following them in through the huge front doors. He kept his gaze averted from the receptionists, following Rose's steps instead. No one knew what happened. No one had any reason to suspect him, right? This would be over soon and he'd be back home before he knew it.

The ride up the elevator was silent which just made it feel agonizingly long. Or maybe it was all in his mind and no one else noticed how tense and awkward he felt. He spent the entire time coming up with justifications and then second-guessing himself. By the time they reached the floor of Rose's office, Leon's ears were popping and his brain was fried. And they hadn't even discussed anything yet. 

Rose was talking to him. Leon's head snapped up as he stammered, "S-Sorry?"

He thought he saw Rose's lips twitch. "I asked if you would like some tea to help you wake up. From the looks of things, you need it."

Actually, Leon's appetite was non-existent. If he tried to eat anything, he was pretty sure he might be sick, but he nodded all the same. "That would be brilliant, thanks."

As Oleana went to have the tea prepared, Rose took Leon's shoulder and guided him over to a chair in front of his rich, mahogany desk. 

"Humor me before we get you a change of clothes," Rose began. "Tell me, did something happen at the gala? You seemed agitated when I saw you during the final hour."

Leon wrung his wrists together. "Oh, I-I was looking for my little brother. My mum lost him so I was just tracking him down. We found him, though."

Rose nodded briefly before leaning against the front of the desk with his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket. "I trust he was well?"

"Yeah, he just...ran into some kids older than him," Leon said, fighting to keep his gaze steady on Rose's face. 

"Ah, and like the dutiful big brother that you are, you went to help him. How very admirable," Rose said.

"He's f-fine now," Leon said.

Oleana returned with a tray of tea and a pressed set of clean clothes for Leon. Her heels clicked on the tile the entire way, putting Leon on edge for some reason. 

"Thank you, my dear," Rose said, then quickly added when Leon stood to change in the bathroom, "Wait one moment… I'm sure after all of that excitement searching for your brother, you must have been very tired. I trust you headed straight home to rest."

"Yeah," Leon said, hoping he didn't answer too abruptly. 

"I was told you declined to take a Corvicab, despite this fact. Any particular reason why?"

The back of Leon's neck felt too warm. "Nope."

"The streets are dangerous that late at night. I'm only concerned about someone mugging you," Rose said reasonably. "The Champion would make for a tempting target, I should think."

Was that what this whole thing was about? The Chairman wanted to scold him for walking by himself at night? If that was the case, Leon could handle it. 

"I'll be more careful. I had Charizard with me so I thought it would be okay," Leon offered up. 

Rose's smile widened. "Very good. I knew you would understand. Go get changed."

Leon didn't waste a second in heading out of the room and down the hall where the men's room was located. 

He flung open the door and rushed inside, wincing when the door shut more loudly than anticipated. Locking himself in one of the stalls, he allowed himself to breathe. If he wasn't careful, he would blow his only shot at convincing Rose and Oleana that everything was right as rain. If there was anyone who would be willing to defend Galar's Champion against accusations and slander, it was the Chairman. All the more important to keep Rose on his side.

Even if the accusations were true.

Alright, time to focus. Leon shed his suit (desperately ignoring the bloodstains on the shirt while doing so) and pulled on the jeans and shirt Oleana had given him. The shirt had the Pokemon League logo plastered across the front. Yep, nothing but a prime example of competitive integrity standing here. 

He tried to fold the suit as best he could and then went to the sink to splash water on his face. The bathrooms on this floor were the ritzy type with a fountain trickling down the back wall and a TV embedded above the entryway to a sauna. A sauna on the 50th floor of a tower. Because why not if you had money?

Normally, the lighting in here would make Leon look good, but now he was just sallow and tired. He slapped his cheeks to put a splash of color in them as well as mentally prep himself for going back out.

When he returned to the office, Oleana was standing near the door, ready to accept the soiled suit. Rose was watching out the huge, floor to ceiling windows behind his desk where an Orbeetle sat in meditation. Hearing Leon enter, Rose turned and smiled at him.

"Oh, my boy," he said in a tone of disappointment. "I had hoped we were close enough that you didn't feel the need to lie to me."

The back of Leon's neck prickled with sweat and his hands curled into fists unconsciously. "I...I-I don't know w-what you mean."

"Yes, you do." Rose stepped away from the window to take his place in his cushy, executive desk chair. "Take a seat, Leon. And let's talk."

Sitting down in the chair opposite Rose was the last thing Leon wanted to do. What he wanted was to get the fuck out of the tower and ride Charizard to the Galarian border. But he was arrested by Rose's knowing gaze to the point where his body moved on its own, sitting down with his sweaty palms resting on his knees. The words 'it's over, it's over' repeated in his head. He was suddenly all too aware of his pounding heart.

"Something happened on the walk home last night, didn't it?" Rose said.

Not trusting himself to speak, but in a last, feeble attempt to protect himself, Leon should his head. 

Rose sighed in response before reaching forward and patting the top of the Orbeetle's head. "Show him what you showed me, if you will."

The Orbeetle's teal eyes opened to take in Leon for a moment before it turned to the expanse of blank wall behind him. It opened its wings in the way it would when it used a psychic move in battle and the spots on them began to glow. An image was projected onto the wall that Leon slowly turned to watch.

Throughout their evolutionary lifespan, Orbeetles gathered information about the world and the people around them. This, combined with their psychic prowess, made them invaluable in law enforcement. Leon had never seen them in action until now when he was staring up at the image of the scene in the alleyway down by the riverbank. It was like watching an old-fashioned, slightly grainy film without audio, but it was clear what was going on. 

Leon saw himself confronting that gang of thugs and it was unnerving how eerily similar it felt to just seeing himself on TV. Except, instead of an interview or battle coverage, it was him getting a crowbar and braining someone. He could even see the squirt of blood that hit his shirt. He was too in-the-moment to pay it much attention at the time.

It wasn't the play of events that made him sick, but the fact that the Chairman had seen the whole thing. There was no parsing it down or messing up witness accounts. The whole thing was on the wall, figuratively and literally.

In other words, Leon was fucked.

When the Orbeetle stopped its projection, Leon kept staring at the blank wall as if too scared to turn around and face the Chairman.

"I'll ask you again," Rose began, slowly and measured. "Did something happen on the walk home last night?"

As all of the life drained out of Leon, he turned forwards in his chair. He couldn't bring himself to look at either Rose or Oleana. He nodded in response.

"You can still speak, can't you?" Rose said. "Use your voice and tell me what happened."

With his throat as full as it was, Leon didn't think it was possible to talk, but he somehow managed to crack open his lips and force words out. "I-I...k-...killed him." The words had a weight that made his nausea sink ever lower; ones that he never, ever thought he would say. He was a good person, right? One who didn't hurt, let alone _kill_ for sport. But he could still feel the weight of the crowbar in his hand and feel the jerk and crack of the point hitting its mark.

"This is serious, Leon," Rose said. He hadn't raised his voice or acted horrified by what he'd seen, but his level tone did more to unsettle Leon than any amount of anger would. "Why did you do it?"

Leon swallowed, trying to test his words by mouthing them first and then said, "H-He wanted to...do s-something terrible to my brother."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of Rose settling back in his chair in thought. "Ahh, I see. I suppose there's no need to explain to you what this could do to your position in the League, not to mention your entire livelihood."

Leon shook his head. "N-No. I kn-know." His hands clutched at the fabric of his jeans in a white-knuckled grip.

"You realize the bind this puts me in, right, Leon? Do you know what the consequences are of the type of crime you've committed?" Rose asked, again, with the even tone that sent shivers down Leon's spine. "A single phone call from anyone would be all it took to summon the authorities. I can't imagine what fate would befall your poor brother if you weren't there to protect him…" He trailed off and sighed. "I can't be there in your place, I'm sorry to say."

"Yes, sir," Leon uttered weakly.

Rose let out a long exhale and said something to Oleana who left the room. After Rose and Leon sat in silence (contemplative on Rose's part, despondent on Leon's), she returned with a bottle of wine and glass for Rose. This time, the sound of her heels was deafening in the silence.

While he took the wine gratefully, he glanced up at her, "Oh, do get a glass for yourself, won't you? You deserve it after these past few days."

"Yes, Chairman," Oleana said. She disappeared from the office once again.

Rose swirled the wine in his glass and took a sip. "I must admit, I've seen very few people take on a group like that, particularly for someone your age and size, without training, no less."

Now puzzled, Leon finally gathered the courage to peer up at Rose. Rose still held the glass of wine but was playing with his loose curl of hair with his free hand.

"The scandal this could bring to the League is more than I'd like to think about. The bobbies are trying to track down witnesses for questioning as we speak. However..." Rose lowered his eerily kind eyes down to Leon. "I may have a couple of methods and moles within the Wyndon Constabulary who would be willing to tide things over."

It hadn't occurred to Leon until just now how much influence Rose must have in Galar. He owned the main power plant for most of Galar's energy, for Pete's sake. Several important properties bore his name or received funds from him. If there was a "king" of Galar, it wasn't Leon.

"You w-would do that?" Leon mumbled.

"Indeed. I won't say it hasn't been done before," Rose said. "But the media is still hungry for news and a mystery makes for a gripping story. We've barely been able to keep a cap on this as it is. Just think of how reporters and bobbies will come hounding after you for answers if even one of those boys spills what he knows."

Actually, that was _all_ Leon had thought about since last night. The grave possibilities, the disgrace...

...Hop looking at him with fear once he learned what Leon did. That knife sliced the deepest.

"You've been keeping it quiet?" Leon asked, uncertainly.

"Of course. We haven't much choice," Rose replied. "Don't get me wrong, should word get out that you were involved, we could simply dismiss you from the championship. That would be wise, to condemn your actions and sever our ties."

Leon's head snapped up. The Chairman had every right to throw Leon to the wolves to preserve the reputation of both himself and the League, but that didn't make the words hurt any less.

Leon's hands trembled. "Please... I'll do whatever you want me to. I...I-I need help."

Whether it was his pleading tone or his request, the way Rose's smile widened indicated that this was exactly what he'd wanted to hear. "If you're so willing to make amends for what you've done...I suppose we could arrange something. Galar is a fine country, but like every nation, poison seeps through the cracks, threatening to pollute our people from the very foundation upward. In order to clean the toxins, some extreme measures need to be taken. I have a need for someone like you with such...drive to protect the weak and less fortunate."

Leon watched Rose rise from his seat and come around the desk to rest his hand on the back of Leon's chair. "You have the strength, you just need refinement. If you do these things for me, you'll be serving to make all of Galar a better place. You want to do that, right? You're our Champion, of course you do."

"Y-Yes, I do," Leon managed, earning him a pat on his hair.

"Good boy," Rose said, with a small chuckle. "I knew we could count on you to do the right thing. You know, you're lucky that _I_ am the current Chairman over the League. Someone else wouldn't be willing to make a compromise like this."

"Yes, sir. I'm grateful." And Leon meant it.

~~~

**Present**

Leon knew he should have been Hop's first. He would've been slow and gentle, touching and kissing over every inch of newly exposed skin until Hop was aching for relief. He would take his time preparing that smaller body, reveling in Hop's gasps and moans as Leon's lubed fingers slid in and out of his hole. 

And then when Leon finally took him, it would be...

If he wasn't careful with this fantasy, he was going to pop a boner on the train back to Wyndon and that wouldn't be a good look for the Champion. Then again, he'd taken at least some precautions to hide his identity as usual - mainly putting his hair up into a bun with sunglasses underneath a navy blue snapback. Going incognito saved him from the inevitable gathering of fans; not that he minded his fans, but his head wasn't in any state to give them the attention they wanted.

Because if that rat bastard Raihan was telling the truth, then Hop had feelings for Leon. Leon's one and only little brother and the most important person in his life. The one Leon vowed to protect from harm so that he would only ever be happy.

 _That_ Hop. 

He couldn't get what Raihan said out of his mind, that apparently Hop didn't just have feelings for Leon, but was straight up in love with him. Leon's heart stuttered as he repeated it over and over in his head, turning it over with his tongue as though investigating its flavor.

This was assuming, however, that Raihan wasn't lying in an attempt to catch Leon off guard so that his dick wouldn't be ripped off and the nerve endings seared shut. Either way, it worked. Leon wanted to ride Charizard to Postwick to ask him if it was true. If it wasn't, Leon would just be humiliating himself and creeping Hop out. If he was going to investigate further, it was going to have to be with tact. Too bad subtlety wasn't exactly his strong point. 

As much as it killed him, he had to wait. It was strange because while Hop's adoration never failed to make Leon feel as though he was on top of the world, that was all Leon had ever thought it was - adoration. Hero worshipping. Like Leon was Hop's idol and role model. They were brothers and anything romantic between them would be taboo.

Of course, that didn't stop _Leon himself_ from falling in love with his precious little brother. It was difficult to say when his brotherly affections and protectiveness turned into...something else. It just happened during a visit to Postwick for Hop's fifteenth birthday and Leon hadn't seen him for months. Hop was well on his way to becoming a young man and straddled the fine line between pretty and handsome. Muscles were developing on his arms and torso. 

While the brothers were watching a movie on the couch one night after Mum went to bed, Hop fell asleep, leaning into Leon's side, which he didn't mind accommodating. It was just that he couldn't seem to ignore Hop's occasional, soft snoring or the scent of whipped cream from his shampoo. Hop's head was propped up on Leon's shoulder and suddenly it was all Leon could do to keep from turning his head just a little, burying his face into that soft hair, and inhaling deeply.

His eyes fell to Hop's mouth, pouting slightly in his sleep, and was hit with the overwhelming desire to run his thumb over the bottom lip. Leon wondered how soft and plush those lips would feel underneath his own. Once he realized where his thoughts were going, a wave of repulsion startled him. Hop stirred, murmured something in his sleep, and resettled his head on Leon's shoulder. What Leon needed was to rush back to his room and collect himself, maybe bang his head against the wall to see if that would fix him.

Because he was _not_ having amorous thoughts about his little brother; his not-legal little brother. If Hop knew, he would be disgusted, maybe even afraid. Leon wouldn't be able to bear it. With his insides squirming like a nest of nervous Caterpies, Leon tried to think of a way to extricate himself from underneath Hop, as right then the feel and weight of Hop's body along his was making him panic. He barely wanted to touch Hop, in case Leon's very presence was somehow going to cause harm after those inclinations.

Nothing could ever hurt Hop...not even Leon.

What he wound up doing was carefully lifting Hop off of him with a pair of trembling hands and then gently lowering him down to lay on the couch, covering him up with a blanket for good measure. Only _then_ could he go upstairs and freak out at his own gall to desire his brother.

The turmoil followed him back to Wyndon. He was already good at wearing a mask for the public, but it was obvious to his friends (and the Chairman) that he was fraying around the edges. No amount of prying could get the truth out of him. Leon had already forced his feelings so far down that it would take a Sandslash to dig them back out.

The following weeks and months were full of him trying to distract himself with how unsettled he was. If he wasn't throwing himself into his duties, he was drinking with Raihan, chatting with Sonia, or hooking up with one of his fans. He'd never really been one to drag one-night-stands back to his flat, not for the lack of willing partners, but just because of the _other jobs_ the Chairman sent him on.

He knew exactly the reason for the change - it was to get Hop off his mind, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. Even in the middle of bedding another woman or man, thoughts of Hop cropped up. Leon imagined what Hop's face would look like when he orgasmed or how much he wanted Hop to be the one playing with his clothes as their hips ground together. It was enough to drive a person mad. The more desperately he wanted to forget his attraction to his baby brother, the more his will crumbled when Hop texted him or posted an adorable picture of himself on social media.

Leon was losing the battle and fast.

Too bad none of that mattered in the end, because Raihan would be the first to get to Hop before anyone else. Why the hell did it have to be like _that_ , of all things? Hop should have been treated with love and care. He didn't deserve anything less. And Leon just...let it happen. Some big brother he was that he couldn't even sense when Hop was in danger and afraid.

Now, after all was said and done, there was a chance that Hop might feel the same way... How could Leon even go about confirming something like that, especially so soon after Hop's assault? The smart thing to do would be to leave it alone, just ignore everything Raihan said so that Hop wasn't put in an awkward position.

Besides, what if it _was_ true? Leon was weak; if Hop actually _wanted_ him, he wouldn't be able to decline, no matter how wrong it was. If Hop wanted to have sex with him, he couldn't say no.

These were the thoughts that plagued Leon once he returned to Wyndon. Waiting, wondering, itching to know the truth. Wanting to fly to Postwick and take Hop in his arms and show him what making love was like. The vision came to his mind the next afternoon while he was in the shower and heat filled him until his cock stiffened and he wrapped a hand around himself just to relieve the ache.

Hop would run his hands down Leon's back and then gasp when the head of Leon's cock breached the tight ring of muscle and slid inside. Hop would be spread out underneath him, warm and pliant, lustful yet shy. A sweet-tart that Leon just wanted to devour whole.

They could take their time, go nice and slow to really enjoy the sensations. No fear, just love.

Bracing himself against the wall of the shower, Leon pumped himself faster. His long hair clung to the wet skin of his shoulders like a curtain. After so long of repressing his own desires, it was all bursting out like a broken dam.

A tiny speck in the back of his mind reminded him that he still didn't know for sure if Hop felt the same, but once he'd started to indulge, he couldn't stop. He was the only one who stood to hurt from the outcome of the truth anyway. As long as Hop wasn't the one in pain, Leon could deal with anything else.

With the hot water lubricating him, it didn't take long to reach his peak. "Oh, H-Hop!" he ground out in a choked moan, pressing his eyes into his arm. A shudder racked his body and he released over the bare linoleum, imagining Hop groaning shamelessly into his mouth. _Gods, please, yes_... Leon just wanted him to feel wonderful and mindless with pleasure.

He leaned against the wall to support his weight when coming down from the high made his body feel like limp rubber. It was one of the more intense orgasms he'd ever had. And that was just _imagining_ sleeping with Hop. What would it be like with Hop actually there?

But coming down brought a nice dose of reality with it. He'd deliberately touched himself to Hop after all this time of trying to put it out of his mind. There was no reversing this, no convincing himself that the image of Hop arching into him was just an intrusive thought. Leon wanted his little brother and had for a while.

Just as he was getting ready to finish washing up, his phone emitted a particular ringtone that made him want to groan. Just perfect bloody timing it was.

Leon growled in displeasure, touching his head to the cool tile of the shower wall as if it would clear his head. He couldn't ignore this. If it was anyone else, he could. His Rotom phone drifted up to the other side of the shower door.

"Ah, Master Leon..."

"I know," Leon said, curtly. He shut the water off and grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist.

"Are you ready for me to answer?" Rotom said. Leon just grunted in response. There was no video feed for a call like this, but this wasn't exactly a regular phone call by the sound of the feminine, yet oddly mechanical voice on the other end that was deeper than Oleana's. This one didn't need a phone at all.

"Champion. My apologies for disturbing your cleansing ritual. There is a matter that requires your attention."

"Well, you've got it," Leon replied.

"Yes. A package was received by the Greater Motostoke Constabulary this morning via anonymous email," she said. "It contained footage meant to incriminate you."

"That's nothing new," Leon said. He swore he could feel a headache threaten to come on. "Can't we send someone to take care of it?"

"That was done. An agent was dispatched one hour ago. _Prior to consulting me_ , no less," she said, and the last bit had an angry, rumbling undertone that Leon's phone was having trouble transmitting. It made his headache twinge painfully. "If they had spoken to me beforehand as they were instructed to, I would have halted them. I thought you might be interested to know the location where the source of the message was traced."

~~~

Hop didn't know when his Rotom sent off the package of info. He didn't have the constitution to press the button himself. The Rotom seemed to be having fun searching for information and packing it all together, so Hop let him. He could've interfered (he probably _should_ have interfered), but he didn't. 

It was his own brother he was trying to turn in. This was treason against his family, but Hop was panicked and not thinking straight, so he told himself. It was the right thing to do. It was humane, it was merciful. 

It was sickening. Hop had all but lost his appetite. It was the second day he'd been home, but he hadn't eaten since the night before. Just thinking about it made his stomach roll. His Boltund tried to bring him a bottle of water in its mouth but he left it beside him on his bed, untouched. 

Now the time was bleeding from afternoon into the evening and he was left staring up at a blanket of clouds. One of Mum's calls had summoned her to Hulbury on business which was both a blessing and a curse. He didn't think he had the strength to deal with her right now, but he felt on edge when it was just him and his Pokemon in the house.

Even while Boltund and Purrloin cuddled up to him on his bed, he didn't stop berating himself for being such an awful little brother.

Then he heard the front door being flung open with enough force to rattle the walls. 

"HOP?!"

All three of them jumped. Purrloin scrambled underneath the bed and Boltund flung himself into Hop's arms. Hop's heart pounded in his chest. Leon was home. He never, ever thought he would be so afraid to hear his big brother's voice. 

Because Leon knew. Surely, he had to know; there was no other reason for him to come crashing into the house at dusk bellowing like that.

In other words, Hop was fucked.

His blood ran cold, adrenaline flooding his limbs where they were curled around Boltund. Boltund's ears flattened against his head and he whined nervously. 

"Hop? Where are you?" Leon's voice held urgency that did nothing to settle Hop's nerves. He needed to move, he couldn't just sit there frozen and hope Leon would just go away. He could yank his window open and fly off on Corviknight as he did before, which seemed like a good plan. Hop's eyes darted around for his bag before he remembered that it was downstairs where he'd left it in one of the sitting room sofa chairs. He'd have to sneak down and pray Leon didn't catch him if he wanted to grab Corviknight. 

He heard Leon talking downstairs and then the sounds of agreement from whichever of his Pokemon he must've sent out. Hop _had to move_. Now. Maybe he could try jumping out of his window and make for the roof of the shed. Or go out Leon's window and take a tree down to the ground.

Too late. Boltund suddenly started barking and Hop's head whipped around to see what agitated him. Leon's Dragapult rose through the floor, eyes widening when he saw Hop while his Dreepies chattered and gesticulated wildly. In a display of courage, Boltund leaped off the bed and growled at them. Dragapult shook his head and beckoned to Hop.

"I don't want to," Hop said, his voice shaking. He stood up behind Boltund, clutching at his arms. He didn't want Boltund to fight them when Dragapult was stronger. "Please just leave me alone."

Dragapult frowned and then blinked out from view. A chill crawled up Hop's arms as he backed up and plastered himself against the wall. He felt Dragapult's ghostly tail wrap around him, wispy but with a stronger grip than Hop expected. 

"Boltund!" Hop cried out as he tried to push Dragapult away. "No! Stop! I don't wanna see him. Let me go!" Boltund bounded over to try to get a hold of him with his teeth, but Dragapult was already phasing down to the first floor. They wound up in the kitchen when Dragapult reappeared. He shook his head to send one of his Dreepies out, presumably to go get Leon. He tried to wrench himself out of Dragapult's tail again, but the Pokemon held fast. "I don't want this!"

Above his head, there was a scrabbling of paws across the floor as Boltund scurried to the hall and crashed down the stairs.

"Hop?" Came Leon's voice from the doorway. Hop's stomach plummeted and he turned to stare at Leon with huge, fear-filled eyes, feeling the heat drain from his face. Leon looked frazzled, his hair haphazardly tied into a messy knit at the back of his head, having thrown on whatever clothes he'd found on his bedroom floor. He was flushed as he came forward. His Haxorus stuck in its tusked head behind him through the doorway. "There you are. We need to get out of here. Where's Mum?"

"I d-don't want to," Hop managed. He'd stopped trying to struggle against Dragapult whose tail unwound from around him.

"It's dangerous here, _we need to go_ ," Leon said through gritted teeth.

 _It's more dangerous with you_ , Hop wanted to throw back at him. "What do you want?"

"To get you and Mum out of here, for Arceus's sake," Leon blurted out. "Where is she?"

"She left this morning. T-To Hulbury," Hop said. It wasn't like Leon couldn't find her with a simple phone call anyway. 

But that seemed to satisfy Leon as it was. He nodded. "Good, makes things easier. Now come on. We don't have time for this."

"Why not? Wh-What's going on?" Hop demanded. Leon was acting strange and it did nothing to reassure Hop's confidence. 

"It'll take too long to explain," Leon said. He reached for Hop's arm, but Hop staggered back. He darted to the side and ducked underneath Leon's arm to the kitchen door outside. He grabbed for the handle when a Dreepy latched onto his face. His yelp was muffled as he reached up to bat it out of the way. 

"Damn it, Hop! _Why are you running?"_ Leon came after him and Hop abandoned the kitchen door when Dragapult flitted over to keep it shut. With the Dreepy hanging off his shoulder, Hop went for the front hall. Haxorus got an arm around his middle and held him back, but Boltund had made it to the bottom of the stairs and bit Haxorus's tail. It yelped and released Hop.

"Wait, you don't understand!" Leon yelled after him. 

"I know enough!" Hop shot over his shoulder. He could either head through the front door or go for his bag in the sitting room and he didn't want to leave them here - probably wouldn't get far without them, anyway. All Leon would have to do is fly on Charizard to catch him. Hop wouldn't be able to get to the Twins in time for them to help. 

On instinct, he bolted into the sitting room and dove for his bag. But he'd inadvertently cornered himself as there wasn't a way out but for the windows and it would take too long to get one open unless he wanted to break one. 

Plus, Leon was now blocking the doorway to the front hall. "I'm not here to fight you. It's not safe here!"

"I'm not going with you," Hop said. He ripped open his bag and reached in for a Pokeball. Boltund was too preoccupied with Haxorus to help him now.

"If you don't come with me willingly, I'm going to have to-" Leon was cut off with a rumble from the basement that shook the floor and made Hop have to grab the arms of the chair to keep himself upright. 

"Wh-What, what is that?" Hop managed. 

"Shit, shit," Leon repeated to himself as he dug into the pocket of his sweatpants for something. He pulled out something long and thin, but Hop had no desire to stay there and find out what it was. He had a sliver of an opening to slip by Leon in one last rush...

Which he would have done were it not for the second, bigger rumble that made Hop lose his footing and stumble straight into Leon, his face going in between Leon's plush pecs. Under other circumstances, that would be awesome but Hop was trying to run for his life here. Leon's arm grasped around his shoulders as if to hold him there. Before Hop could try to push himself off, he felt a sharp prick in the soft skin at the base of his throat and gasped.

"No, no, no," he rambled. "I don't want to..."

"Don't fight it, it's already in your system," Leon told him. He was right, Hop body was rapidly growing heavy and a rushing filled his ears. He was going to die, his brain told him.

Above him, Leon said, "Dragapult! Get downstairs and help Char!"

Darkness closed in at the edges of Hop's vision. Keeping his eyes open was suddenly a chore. "N-No, Lee, nn-..."

"Shh, you'll be safe now," Leon said. It was the last thing he heard before going unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hop, he died the way he lived: with his face shoved into Leon's tits.


	14. The Below

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More truths come out, they just happened to be underground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Kidnapping ment, drugging ment, murder ment, assassination ment, weaponry, guns, knives, trafficking ment, child and small animal abuse ment (nothing but the kidnapping has to do with the Leehop, they're peripheral events). Incest and ducon touching. 
> 
> You know you guys can tell me if you have constructive criticism or contradictions/errors I haven't caught, right? I won't be offended if you say something. I want to hear it. I've sat through creative writing classes where people tore down my work. I can take it, I promise. XD

Leon would usually send the outtakes from his Champion modelling photoshoots to Postwick, photos that weren’t published anywhere in the magazines or on the internet. When the big, manilla envelope arrived, Hop crowded in next to Mum, Gran, and Gramps while they went through the pile. To Hop, it was like the holidays came early. A new batch of special presents that they had that no one else did, like exclusive merchandise. A special benefit that Hop got as Leon’s biggest fan. 

They would “oo” and “ah” at the photos, whether they were for clothing adverts or League shoots with Leon’s Pokemon. The cameras loved Lee, he was handsome, photogenic, absolutely flawless with or without makeup or editing. When he was younger, Hop wanted to be just like Leon, earning him pats on the head and cooing from his Mum and grandparents. They reassured him that he could, one day, if he slept and ate his vegetables. Whether or not they really meant what they said was up for debate. They were probably just humoring the starry-eyed boy who didn’t seem to show a quarter of the talent that Leon did. 

After everyone else had gone to bed, Hop stole the envelope of photographs and shut himself up in his room. He examined them under the lamp on his desk at first, but as time went by, he moved to the floor beside his bed, then onto his bed, then under his covers with a flashlight, hiding from the world as if he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing. 

Which was probably the case, considering he’d stolen a number of Leon’s more...provocative photos for his personal perusal. Pictures in which Leon’s clothes hugged his curves, his muscles. And the ones with...less clothes, like the one where he was naked from the waist up laying across a Mudsdale’s back. That one was for a goddamn farmer’s magazine. What the hell they were trying to advertise to farmers that required Leon to be in his skivvies and sprawled out over a Pokemon, Hop didn’t know, but he wasn’t really complaining. 

His brother was hot. That was all he knew and needed to know under those blankets. Hot, brilliant, unbeatable... Hop was lucky Leon gave him the time of day when he was constantly surrounded by the elite of the worldwide Pokemon League. He just so happened to be the one Arceus appointed as Leon's brother. 

That would've been perfect by itself, just to let Hop be satisfied as Leon's fawning younger brother. Instead he had to be attracted to him too, for some god awful reason. Not that the attraction itself was god awful, but the fact that he would never be able to act on it. He wasn't allowed to desire his brother, morals and nature both forbade it. But if he wasn't Leon's brother, Leon wouldn't know he even existed. It was an awful cosmic joke and one that made Hop feel sick to his stomach after he'd finished rubbing one out in a haze of teenage hormones and glanced down at the pictures in his hands.

He was disgusting, lower than trash, a disgraceful brother. Still, he couldn't bring himself to throw out his private collection, so he would just stuff the photos underneath his mattress like anyone with a naughty magazine. 

The most shameful part of the whole thing was that he  _ couldn't stop. _ If he had a few more brain cells, he would have figured out that the safest course of action was to throw out the pictures. It wasn't like they weren't getting ruined by the flakes of dried cum decorating Leon's bare chest. Nobody would want them and he was only polluting his mind the more time wore on. 

It wasn't like he would ever have a chance with Leon, anyway. Leon was his older brother and way, way out of his league. He would just get in trouble. Or worse, get Leon in trouble. Besides, what could a kid who grew up in the boonies possibly have to offer to the Champion of Galar - a man who could literally have anyone he wanted at the drop of a hat with nothing more than a smile? 

That was the reason he pursued becoming the new Champion so relentlessly. If he didn't have the looks or the charisma to attract Leon when Lee was already surrounded by the likes of Sonia and Raihan, then Hop would get his attention through Pokemon. He'd raise a team to rival Leon's and beat him on the pitch in front of the entire world, proving to Leon that he could be an equal.

Someone truly worthy of Lee. 

*

Waking up was way too hard. Hop's brain told him he needed to do it but his body had other ideas. Every part of him felt heavy and slow. When stirring proved too difficult, he would just let himself sink back down into groggy bliss. Good thing he was warm. Not being able to move while freezing sounded like a slice of hell. 

He was wrapped up in something orange and breathing. It was so familiar and safe that he had no problem nestling into the side of a hot belly to go back to sleep. His tongue was dry and fuzzy in his mouth and a headache throbbed behind his temples, but he was  _ warm _ . He finally became aware of a deep snoring that overlapped a soft, droning hum that sounded like it was echoing through a huge cavern. 

Slowly, in increments, awareness returned until he could actually move his limbs. The warm thing was Lee's Charizard with his thin arms around Hop's middle and his wings covering up them both. Technically, he knew he should get moving, but he was criminally comfortable and…

Where the bloody hell was this? They were laying in a stark white bed in a featureless, gray and concrete room. Well, almost featureless. On closer inspection, pipes ran along the walls and ceiling and there was a threadbare rug underneath the bed that was so worn down that its pattern was barely decipherable anymore. His pack was missing, but he was still in his t-shirt and pants. Oh, and his shoes were laid neatly by one of the bed’s metal posts because why the hell not? 

The last thing he remembers was Leon drugging him (at least, he assumed whatever Leon stuck in him was the needle of a syringe despite not having seen it). Considering Charizard was here...Lee couldn’t be too far. He was still in one piece, so his brother didn’t seem to be interested in silencing him for now. 

Best thing to do would be to get an idea of where he was and figure out where Leon was. He carefully maneuvered out from underneath Charizard, trying desperately not to wake up the big lug. Luckily, Charizard just flopped his head and neck over and sighed, letting a curl of smoke waft upwards. The second Hop was out from underneath him, though, he was hit with how cold the place was. It wasn’t just drafty and dark, but cool and dry in a way that couldn’t just be air conditioning. Were they underground? 

That didn't make much sense...but then again, neither did anything else in his life these days. What reason would Leon have to take him to a cellar somewhere? ...Unless it was going to be like one of those torture porn movies, but thinking about that wasn't helping his headache, so he just pulled on his shoes and tried the door.

He wasn't expecting it to actually  _ be unlocked _ . For some reason, he thought he'd be locked up. The hallway the door opened to was just as gray and concrete as the inside of the room. And somehow danker and colder. If he wasn't so desperate for answers, Hop would be tempted to go back and curl up into Charizard again. As it was, his arms prickled with goose flesh without his jacket. Rubbing them for warmth barely did anything.

Well, he wasn't going to feel much better just by standing there, so he headed out, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for any other sign of life. All he heard was the sound of his own steps reverberating against the walls. The other doors in the area led to more beds, like sleeping quarters. At least they were empty.

He'd feel a lot better if he had his Pokemon with him. As it was, he was pretty vulnerable and he hated that feeling. Just look at all the shit he was dealing with recently as a result of being too damn weak to fend for himself. If Leon had taken his Pokemon, he hoped they were at least safe.

There was something of a lounge area at the end of the hall with a coffee maker, electric tea kettle, and a fridge with a single stick of butter on the shelf. Hop was starting to think this was much, much more than a cellar. Then he caught sight of a black, windbreaker draped over one of the chairs at a table. Giving a sigh of relief, Hop picked it up and slipped it over his shoulders.

It would serve the purpose of keeping the chill off, but when Hop cast his gaze down, his heart sank. Over the left breast was a Macro Cosmos logo. For some reason, the thought of this being one of Chairman Rose's facilities didn't sit well with them. Even though theoretically, that should've been good news. If a League staff member was there, he could explain what was going on and get some help.

But the Chairman had given him the creeps ever since the gym challenge when Hop had finally had the chance to be around the man for more than five minutes at a gala. He couldn't quite put his finger on as to why that was. Maybe what happened with Raihan had him second-guessing the intentions of everyone he thought he knew.

In any case, the windbreaker served its purpose. He just needed something to keep him warm since he'd lost the furnace that was Charizard. Speaking of which, he should probably keep moving. He still needed to figure out where exactly he was. Beyond the lounge, there was a branching hallway and more pipes splitting off, leading off to parts unknown. Lamps stuck inside caged wiring buzzed overhead. Somewhere in the distance was a clicking sound that fell into a rhythm. It was difficult to tell which direction the sound came from, but if he stuck his head down one of the halls, he thought he could make it out more loudly while it was muffled in the others. Either a sign of life or a sign of...something. Hop's head was still killing him, so he was just praying to Arceus that it was a League Staff member rather than anyone unsavory.

There were signs on the walls with sets of rules and emergency information. More Macro Cosmos logos, but no telling what kind of place this was. The clicking sounded closer than before and Hop realized that it was moving toward him. His mind was putting together the pieces as to why the rhythm sounded familiar when he rounded a corner and found himself face-to-face with a Mr. Rime. Leon's Mr. Rime, to be specific by the looks of the yellow, black, and white shoes that echoed Leon's own style. Hop squeaked a bit in surprise and stepped back before he ran into the Pokemon. The clicking he heard was the sound of Mr. Rime's heels and cane tapping on the concrete floor. He must be loving the acoustics in the halls of the facility.

Without skipping a beat, Mr. Rime's smile grew underneath his mustache and he stopped, bowing and tipping his hat as one foot laid on top of the other.

"Um...hi," Hop mumbled. "I'm guessing Lee is down here?"

Mr. Rime righted his hat and nodded. "Rime~."

With his hands tensing inside his pockets, Hop cleared his throat. "And he's this way?"

Another nod. "Rime."

"Awesome." Hop turned on his heel and started back down the hall in the direction he came from. But just before he could make it around the corner, he ran headlong into...nothing. There was nothing there, but he could  _ feel _ the barrier underneath his hands when he felt around the invisible surface.

Shit.

He looked over his shoulder at Mr. Rime who wagged a finger at him as though Hop was a naughty child. Stepping to one side of the hall, Mr. Rime bowed again and held up his arms as though to say 'after you' up the hall where he was heading.

"...Thanks," Hop told him before dragging his feet past. He was pretty sure that Leon had received his penchant for theatrics from this one. Behind him, the tapping started back up as Mr. Rime followed him. He was directed through a bigger room with several screens and down another hall with an actual red rug running down the center of it. Hop was already getting turned around, even with the occasional features to serve as landmarks. He couldn't imagine how Leon was surviving, as pants with directions as he was. Maybe that was why his Pokemon were out, to help him before he got so lost, he wound up in another dimension.

Mr. Rime stopped them in front of a set of solid, double doors. He knocked politely against them with the head of his cane and then swung them open. Inside was a mess of glowing screens, pipes, and cables. A table with cushy chairs was set up in the middle of the room.

The screens looked to be showing all sorts of things from a media outlet to a collection of data. A Rotom floating in the middle of them, connected to them via thin beams of electrical energy. Some very fancy things were going on that would have taken Hop a long while to understand, in other words. 

But all of his attention focused on Leon who was sitting in one of the chairs at the end of the table. He looked up when Mr. Rime led Hop inside, grinned, and stood to come closer.

"Oh good, you're awake! Did Charizard keep you warm enough? I know it gets pretty drafty down here." His smile was the same, his expression was still soft and kind when he looked at Hop. Considering the fact that Hop was alive, Leon's first priority wasn't to kill him, but he'd still been drugged and dragged away to god-knew-where. He peered up at Leon and frowned.

"Where are we, Lee?"

"Well, ah...you see..." Leon stumbled over his words. "I...I don't think I can tell you much. B-But we're safe here. I promise." The way he said it was like he was embarrassed, which didn't match up with the mood of the facility or the spacious command center they were currently standing in.

Hop frowned as he peered up at Leon. "Wh-Why did you bring me here? What are you trying to keep us safe from?"

Leon fidgeted with the sleeves of his jacket and lowered his face like a kid trying to apologize for breaking a vase. "Uh...f-f...I don't think I can tell you that, either." He glanced up at Hop through his eyelashes. "I'm sorry, Hop. I-It's a long story."

Seeing Leon act this way was strange considering what Hop knew now. This was the side of his big brother that he was used to, but he was also someone who very well might've killed innocent people. All he had to do was remember the blank, dead look in his eyes after he attacked Raihan and the blood splatter on his clothes in the video. Was this actually the brother he loved so much?

Hop's brow knitted together. "Well then, what can you tell me? Why did you drug me? Did..." He took a little step backwards. "Did you come home just so you could knock me out and haul me here?"

Leon paled and snapped up his head to stare at Hop. "What? N-No! I didn't plan for all of that to happen. I was  _ planning _ on getting you and Mum out of the house by choice. I brought the syringe in case I ran into someone who wanted to fight. I didn't know who they sent to find you. But then you tried to run..."

" _ Who? _ Who sent who to find us?" Hop pried. So long as Leon insisted on being tight-lipped, Hop wasn't going to make things easy for him until he knew what was going on.

Leon rubbed his temples, muttering to himself for a long moment. "There's no way you could just...trust me on this?"

Hop's jaw tightened while he crossed his arms and gazed at Leon levelly. Once Leon could tell Hop wasn't going to reply, he sighed. 

"Fine...fine. I'll tell you what I can. But not here. This isn't a good place for it." He glanced up at his Rotom where it was still connected to the computers. Its eyes blinked open on the back of the phone.

"I will continue to monitor communications for you, Master Leon. No need to worry. I will ring if there's a matter that requires your attention," Rotom said politely. "Master Hop, how is your recovery from the narcotic progressing? Any side effects? Do you have a headache or upset stomach? I can locate a medicine cabinet within the facility if needed."

"I'm fine," Hop replied flatly. "Thanks."

Leon looked at him with concern. "Are you sure? Sometimes the narcotics can have a delayed effect while they're still wearing off-"

"I'm  _ fine _ , Lee," Hop said, barely resisting the urge to grind his teeth. "I just want to know what's going on." Truthfully, his stomach rolled every so often with a hint of nausea that would worsen if he didn't sit down soon, but it was nothing a cup of hot tea couldn't fix. What was truly intolerable was standing here listening to Leon talk so casually about drugs and narcotics as though he knew way more about them than he let on. Whether or not they were meant for Hop, the point stood that Leon possessed drugs and knew how to use him. 

It was getting harder to hope that it was all just a joke...or that Hop's suspicions were wrong. 

After a beat, Leon relented, his shoulders lowering. "Alright. Let's...Let's go somewhere more comfortable then. I don't know how to work all of this stuff nearly as well as Rotom anyway." He approached Hop and made to guide him towards the door to the hall with a hand on his arm. Hop tensed under the touch, but he thought better than to shake it off. Best not to agitate his brother when he was pretty much at his mercy in this place. Mr. Rime followed them outside, letting the heavy doors fall shut. 

Leon smiled at the Pokemon fondly. "Thanks for bringing him. I'll call you if I need your help." Mr. Rime bowed his head before tap-dancing his way down the hall. 

"Where are my Pokemon?" Hop asked, as now he was getting worried. There had been no sign of his knapsack when he woke up and he'd feel infinitely better having them nearby. 

He felt Leon's fingers tighten on his arm by a small amount, but it was more a reassuring gesture than anything intimidating. "They're safe; stored in a case down here. Just for safekeeping. Boltund wasn't at all happy we were leaving, not that I blame him. But once he saw what we were dealing with, he calmed down." Leon chuckled wryly, then. "All of them are so protective of you. It was touching to watch."

"So? What were you dealing with? You still haven't told me shit," Hop said, flatly. Though he was relieved to hear his Pokemon were apparently okay. He could breathe a little easier.

Leon frowned and opened his mouth as if to scold him for his language, but must have thought better of it. Now wasn't the time, just like he said.

Hop took another drink of tea that he was fully aware just served to put off speaking just a few seconds longer. His gut was slowly but surely tying up into knots. He'd never felt so nervous talking to his dumb brother. And about something like this... He was hard put to not be sick. 

"I...ah..." He began brilliantly. Should he just bite the bullet and tell the truth? Lying would probably go downhill real fast with the kind of luck he had. "Th-That night when I came back from the Gala... Your Dreepies dialed my number by accident. I heard you t-talking to somebody about...k-killing someone at the party." By the time he was finished, Leon had visibly tensed. His jaw tensed before he slammed his palm on the table and stood up, making Hop jump in his seat. 

"Rotom! Why didn't I know about this?" Leon said. 

A beat later, Rotom's voice sounded over the intercoms. "Well, Master Leon, I considered telling you. I hoped Master Hop would take the incident as a practical joke. I must beg your pardon for my mistake."

"Mistake? Why the bloody hell would you think that was a good idea?! You didn't think he would get suspicious?" The fury in his tone had Hop clutching at the edge of the table as though he would dive underneath it to take shelter at any second. 

Rotom, on the other hand, wasn't phased in the slightest. "Consider it, Master Leon. What would you do if you had known? Question your brother and give him a reason to investigate? The possibility would only stress you out and you haven't exactly  _ been stable _ lately."

The Pokemon had serious balls, Hop would give it that. Of course, it probably saw its fair share of bizarre shit as the intermediary between Leon and whoever it was Leon was talking to that night. On the other side of the room, through a doorway behind Leon, three sets of yellow eyes peeking out at them retreated. Dragapult and his Dreepies knew they were in trouble. 

Leon laid a hand over his face and he cursed quietly to himself as he sank back down on his chair. If Hop thought he had fucked up before, it was nothing compared to now. Now he was a liability, if not to Leon than to anyone else involved in this. "I-I'm sorry, Lee. I didn't know what was going on."

Leon couldn't seem to look at him. "Of course you didn't. What did you do then? You certainly didn't tell me about what you heard."

Hop blanched. "How was I going to bring that up in conversation during our calls? 'Hey Lee, did you really kill somebody at the Gala'?" He sounded more confident than he actually was. It could be that his way to cope with tension was to get snarky or they were way past the point of sugar-coating things.

Dropping his hand from his face, Leon raised his gaze up to Hop. Leon's expression was blank, but looking at him was somehow too intimidating so Hop averted his eyes. "You're the one who tried to turn me in, weren't you? It wasn't Mum. Did you tell her anything?"

"N-No. I thought it would make things more complicated," Hop managed. "H-How did you know it was one of us? M-My Rotom sent all of that stuff anonymously."

Leon laughed dryly. "Hop, look at this place. Do you really think the ones who built it wouldn't be able to  _ trace your phone _ ?"

When it was brought out in the open like that, it sounded stupid. Neither him nor Rotom anticipated that. What he suspected before must've been correct then... Whoever Leon worked for had the constabulary in their pocket. It was all an inside job, wasn't it? A clueless teenager never stood a chance. 

When Hop didn't reply, Leon sighed deeply. "You're brave, I'll give you that. Usually everyone's too paranoid about getting targeted to risk turning me in. The ones who were successful could be discredited if not taken out. But with you...they thought it was just some punk from a small, insignificant town in podunk. They didn't think to look into who lived there, otherwise they would've seen you were  _ my brother _ and know better." A gravelly tone crept into his tone at the last bit. He wasn't going to let anyone go that easily. 

"Wh-Who are you talking about? Who do you work for?" Hop said, nervously. It was dangerous, but his curiosity was still killing him.

Leon peered up at him through the fingers of the hand he was using to rub his face. "Hop, who do you think owns this bunker?"

So his suspicions were correct - this place  _ was _ a bunker. With a heavy feeling in his chest, Hop glanced down at the logo of his jacket and then back up at Leon. He sank lower in his chair. "M-Macro Cosmos?"

"And who's at the head of Macro Cosmos?"

Hop went numb. "Ch...Chairman Rose..." So he was right about his suspicions before. This facility belonged to the Chairman for some god awful reason. Though maybe he shouldn't have been surprised considering the fact that Rose owned factories, mines, and Galar's most prominent energy plant. But something about this place felt off from all of that. Just one look at the monitor room told Hop that. There were probably even more security measures that Hop hadn't noticed yet. What did the Chairman need all of this for?

Also...If Leon worked for Chairman Rose, did that mean...

"Lee, do..." Hop nibbled on his bottom lip, staring at his hands when he suddenly lost the nerve to meet Leon's eyes. "Do you...k-...kill people for the Chairman?"

There was a shift in the air as a chill settled into Hop's bones that had nothing to do with the building's cold. His instincts screamed at him that it was a huge mistake to say that. Less because of his own safety but because the answer may mean there was no going back. 

Across the table, a shadow fell across Leon's face, but Hop still felt his stare. "...Yes. I do."

There it was; the truth laid bare. Hop shrank into himself, feeling the color drain from his face.

His brother was a murderer.  _ His brother was a murderer _ . His already uneasy stomach churned. The blood was real. The forums were correct. This couldn't be his Lee. Had his Lee ever even existed?

"Hop..."

"Wh-Why?" Hop's fingers tightened around his cup of tea reflexively. "Why are you doing this?"

It was insulting how calm Leon's voice was when Hop was fighting to keep the fear out of his voice. "Because there are some seriously sick fucks in Galar."

Perplexed, Hop finally looked up at him. "What are you talking about, Lee?"

"Do you really think I just go around killing whoever I feel like?" Leon said. 

Hop found it very hard to restrain himself from screaming, 'Yes!' But he gulped it down.

Leon continued as though Hop hadn't just seized up across from him. "Everyone the Chairman's sent me to take care of was a piece of shit, Hop. They deserved what they got."

"I don't understand," Hop said. This conversation was only making him feel worse. There was no regret in Leon's tone, no sympathy, and all it did was make him sound crazy. "Why? What did they do, Lee? What could the headmistress of an  _ orphanage _ do to justify killing her?"

Leon stared back at him levelly. "Sell the kids leftover from adoption drives to the highest bidder, maybe?"

Any retort Hop may have had died away as his cheeks went numb. "Wh...What?"

"Or there's the CEO of the Galarian National Bank who likes to buy up some of those kids and release them in the woods so he can hunt them for sport," Leon said. He was dripping spite at this point. "Does the same with unwanted baby Pokemon who get abandoned by their trainers right after they hatch out of their eggs all because they aren't shiny. Where do you think they all go after getting released into the wild. If they all lived happily ever after, we would be seeing them all over the place."

Hop couldn't believe what he was hearing. How would these people get away with that kind of shit? The constables would have to catch them eventually. "How d-do they know all this? Do they have proof?"

"Of course they do, Hop. Do you want to see pictures of some of the remains found after these hunts?" Leon asked, matter-of-factly. "They're not pretty, but if you need convincing, I can have Rotom get some from our database-"

"I'm good, thanks," Hop interrupted, now close to throwing up. He was pretty sure he'd go Zubat-shit crazy if he saw even one of those photos. "If the Chairman knew about all this, why couldn't he just turn them in and get them arrested?"

Leon gave a hideous, dry laugh. "He has! But they've got good lawyers, Hop. Even if legal action is taken, they never actually go to jail."

Now Hop was clutching at his arms, trying and failing to suppress his shivering. 

"Now do you understand, Hop?" Leon said, leaning toward him over the table. "These people are rubbish, the scum of Galar. You're safer without them. Can you really say that we're worse off for their loss?"

Hop just shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. He didn't know what he felt anymore. Every answer Leon gave him just raised more questions.

His brother sighed. "I'm not trying to scare you, Hopscotch. I just...want you to know why I'm doing this."

"What...What about the server at the Gala? What did he do?" Hop muttered.

After a beat, Leon replied with, "I've got my reasons."

All of this confirmed that he had blood on his hands. Whether it was cold blood or not was a bit more difficult to decipher.

"...Hop, I wouldn't hurt you. You believe me, right?" Leon said, more softly.

Actually, Hop didn't completely, but there was no way he was admitting that. He didn't know what to believe anymore. There was no way of telling if he was giving Hop the truth about why he brought him down here. He said it was for Hop's protection, but for all Hop knew, Leon staged the whole scene at their house so he could drug Hop and kidnap him. Still, he forced himself to answer, "Yes, Lee." 

For a tense moment, he was worried that Leon wouldn't believe him, but then Leon said, "...Good. I'm glad. I don't want to hurt you and I'm going to make sure nobody else hurts you ever again."

Raihan should consider himself lucky that he wasn't six-feet-under right at this moment. Hop couldn't help but wonder why, out of all of the people he'd apparently killed, he'd allowed Raihan to live. Was it a sentimental streak or did Leon want him to live to regret attacking Hop?

"Is there no way you can just...stop doing this? You don't have to keep killing, do you?" Hop said.

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that." And something in Hop's expression must have concerned him because he added, "I know this is a lot to take in, Hopscotch. Why don't we take a break from talking about it for now and I can get you some food."

Instead of taking him up on the offer immediately, Hop muttered. "How long are we here for?"

Leon sighed. "It's a 72-hour lockdown. There's only one way in and one way out. The hatch stays locked unless you have top security clearance."

Hop stared at him. " _ 72 hours _ ?"

"Yeah. I have to make sure nobody gets to you to try to finish the job before I can tell them you aren't a bloody rogue agent," Leon replied.

Hop frowned, but his hands curled uneasily. "Finish the job? How? What job?"

"They planted two Electrodes in our basement and fixed the gas to make the explosion look like an accident. What kind of job does that sound like, Hop?" Leon said, crossing his arms.

Any anger persistently batting around in Hop's head drained away into disbelief. Electrodes. An explosion. Someone wanted him and Mum dead. Most likely him since Mum was away when Rotom sent the package of information to the authorities. So whoever was on the premises at the time would've been responsible.

And the only one home was Hop.

Someone...really tried to kill him? The thought crawled over his skin like little pincers. The idea of death was so nebulous to one as young as him. Even when he Raihan's threats toward him that night in the hotel, he never actually expected to die. Every fiber of his being was focused on wanting to see Lee again, so he couldn't die.

Even now, part of him couldn't imagine dying - let alone being killed. All of this hinged on Leon telling the truth, though. He needed to get away from Leon so that he could explore this bunker himself.

Leon's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Look, just relax, Hop. You're safe down here. Think about it like a camping trip! It'll just be you and me for three days! Well, plus our Pokemon, but they won't care what we do."

Right. He was safe down here with his confirmed-murderer brother who drugged him to drag him into a bunker in the middle of Arceus-Knew-Where, Galar. Despite the optimistic smile Leon was giving him, all of Hop's instincts screamed at him to get his Pokemon and get the fuck out of that bunker. Maybe if he got his Excadrill, they could burrow their way out through one of the walls before Leon noticed. It was a stretch, but Hop didn't trust a thing about this entire situation.

Did the Electrodes even exist? Did Chairman Rose really have Leon assassinate his political enemies? Leon lied to him (even by omission) about so many things. Where did the lies end and the truth begin?

"You haven't touched your tea, Hop," Leon said.

Hop realized he hadn't said anything for a while. "I...I-I'm not hungry."

"It's tea. You drink it." Leon's brow knit together in worry.

"I...Not thirsty," Hop stammered. Someone might very well want to kill him. How could he think about eating and relaxing at a time like this?

Leon leaned towards him. "You should really try to get something in you. How about I find you some soup and we can-"

There was a gentle pop as the intercom near the ceiling of the lounge and Rotom's voice came on saying, "Pardon me, Master Leon. Terribly sorry to interrupt, but I require your presence in Communications."

Leon sat back with a sigh, shutting his eyes. "I'm coming." He peered at Hop again. "Sit tight, okay? I'll be right back. Just...try to drink something." He stood and made his way back into the hallway with the elaborate rug. Hop was left shivering in his thin, Macro Cosmos windbreaker with his untouched cup of tea cooling in front of him.

Rotom was probably wired up to the bunker's mainframe or something. If there was a security system or cameras, it would be able to be able to track him throughout the facility. But maybe it was distracted enough not to notice if he were to...poke around a bit. Just to see if he was really locked in here with his brother for three whole days.

He glanced around the eerily still lounge before gathering his nerve to stand and slide out from his seat. He'd try going down the hallways opposite from the one that led to the Comms room. Maybe it would put some distance between him and Leon and buy him some time to look around.

What he found was locked doors with keycard slots. Sadly, he was lacking in the keycard department. Knowing Leon, he probably had access to everything somehow.

He finally found a map at an intersection of crossing hallways. The layout of the bunker was compact, but the winding halls made it feel bigger. A red dot marked his position and the Comms room was one of the larger squares on the right side. Hopefully, Leon would be in there for a little longer. 

Infuriatingly, the map didn't mention where in Galar they were underneath. It was Bunker #5. That was it. If Hop made it to the surface, he'd better have his Pokemon, because he had no idea where he would end up. Could very well pop up inside a den of Bewears for all he knew.

A fancy label was smacked over the entrance to the bunker. As Leon mentioned, it seemed to be the only official entrance. There were other chutes that led to places outside of the map, but they seemed to be for shipping supplies rather than moving people in and out. He tried to memorize its location, but seeing as the facility seemed to be deliberately elaborate, he was better off trying to remember its relative location. 

Next thing to do would be to find his stuff. Trouble was, he had no idea where to begin searching. There were a few storage places, it seemed. The room he woke up in with Charizard was probably in the sleeping quarters and there was a storage room in that area. Seemed like a good place to start searching. He followed the halls from the red spot to the bedrooms, getting a flashback from the days when he'd do the same thing with the mazes on the back of cereal boxes. Those naïve days felt like a million years ago.

He set out through the unsettling blank halls, his fingers crossed that he wouldn't run into anymore of Leon's Pokemon. It was strange being in such a quiet place while his heart was pounding in his chest. Adrenaline made his eyes water and his ears sharp, but all he heard was the drone of the underground. He stayed focused on the image of the floor plan in his head, all the same, and found himself in front of a set of heavy, double doors labeled 'Storage and Munitions'. This was it, right? He thought he'd taken the right set of turns for it. There was a key card reader next to the door with a yellow light slowly blinking on and off. 

It wasn't red. That was promising, right? He tried the handle, not expecting it to actually click and give way. He blinked against the unfiltered light that hit his eyes and took in the scene of rows upon rows of shelves containing boxes and cases. In the middle of the whole thing, there was a clear area. A dome of flickering blue energy about as tall as Hop and as wide as an elevator surrounded two giant round...things. Hop couldn't exactly make them out from where he was, but for the outlines of their shapes. 

Beside the dome was Leon's Aegislash, who turned at the sound of the door and fixed its violet eye on Hop.

"Ah, greetings," it said in a cool, soft voice that somehow managed to echo off the walls even if it was low. "How dost thou fare, kind Hop?"

Hop had heard Aegislash speak before. It was among the ghost Pokemon that could be taught to speak. He remembered Leon theorizing that his Aegislash was possessed by the ghost of an ancient Galarian knight. At least, that's what he told to a young Hop who wanted to hear stories from his Pokemon journey. There was a similar Pokemon in the Rose of the Rhondlands. He should have been used to hearing it speak, but in this case, the smooth tone just sent an unnerved shiver down Hop's spine.

"I'm...fine," Hop said. Inwardly, he prayed to high heaven that Aegislash wasn't going to call Leon. "What are you doing here?"

"I wast tasked to guard the invaders recovered from thy home," Aegislash whispered. 

Hop stepped inside the room and shut the door behind him. Having his back exposed to the hallway was just putting him on edge. "Invaders?"

"Wouldst thou liketh to observe them?" was the reply. "They are harmless in their containment. Thou need not fear."

Coming forward, Hop stared at the dome. Through the energy field, he made out a beady pair of eyes on the side of one of the balls peering back at him - the face of an Electrode. And it looked bored out of its metallic skull. Beside it, the other was flipped upside down, but it rolled over to look at Hop as well. 

"Elec?"

"Trode." 

"Electro." 

Then they both snickered. It was like they were casually swapping quips. Aegislash rolled its eye.

"They're...from the basement?" Hop said, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Indeed," Aegislash said. "Mine comrade found them before they detonated. Thy brother thought it best to bring them hither."

Hop's thoughts were buzzing around like angry flies. When Leon told him that Electrodes had been planted in the basement of their house, he wasn't sure he fully believed it. For all he knew, it was just another story to get Hop to comply with this crazy plot. But unless Leon was dedicated enough to get two random Electrodes and set them up just for Hop's benefit, then that meant...he was telling the truth. 

"You were...going to blow up the house." The words didn't seem real.

"Tro."

"With...with me in it."

The Electrodes grinned at him, one even wiggling its eyebrows conspiratorially. So that was a yes. Hop's knees suddenly felt weak. He could have died. He could have gone up in an explosion of electrified flames and no one would have ever known why. What would the coverup blame it on? A gas leak ignited by a pilot light? 

It was weird knowing he'd apparently close to dying. He felt as though he should be freaking out, but instead was disconnected from the whole thing.

"Perhaps a rest is in order," Aegislash whispered to him. "It would serve nothing for you to take ill. Shall I summon our lord?"

Hop snapped back to life. "No! I...I already talked to him. I just came here because I'm looking for my Pokemon. D-Do you know where they are?"

"They are safe. They desired to come to thy aid, but remained unharmed. Open that case, if you will." Aegislash indicated a thick, steel case next to a door that looked as though it belonged to a bank vault. With his heart climbing into his throat, Hop rushed over and undid the clasps with trembling hands. The lid was heavy and made a loud thud when it landed against the wall.

But there was the belt with his Pokemon. Relief flooded into his chest as he lifted it up, to the point where he thought tears might well up in his eyes. They were safe. Leon had enough decency not to hurt them, at least.

The Pokeballs on the belt began to shake as his team were getting ready to emerge. "No, wait! N-Not yet, please," Hop told them. "I'm fine. I don't want to make Lee concerned if he sees all of you." Slowly, reluctantly, the Pokeballs stopped quivering. "Thank you."

No sooner had he said than he heard the double doors to the hallway open up.

"Hop?"

Hop jolted and froze. Damn it, he thought he had more time than this. Luckily there were some shelves between him and the hallway doors so Leon wouldn't be able to see him immediately. He knew Leon could have hurt him already if he really wanted to, this wasn't so much about Hop fearing for his life other than he just...needed a moment. This was a lot to take in. He was in an underground room with a couple sentient bombs set up to kill him not too long ago. He just needed to breathe.

Then he heard Aegislash speak and those hopes were dashed. "Yes, my lord. Thy brother is here collecting his team."

There was no breathing. Breathing was not an option. His eyes fell on the vault door where a large handlebar served as a doorknob. What were the chances that it would be unlocked? It seemed laughable. Nothing in the universe was on Hop's side lately.

But it was still worth a shot. He took a hold of the handlebar and pulled, not bothering to try and be quiet when Aegislash had already announced that he was there. He truly wasn't expecting for the handle to actually move and yield to his pulling. There was a clanking sound as some mechanism inside the door gave way and the door swung slowly towards him.

He immediately wished he hadn't opened the door. He wished that the ground would have swallowed him up or for the Electrodes to have successfully zapped him into oblivion. Because the second the heavy door swung open far enough, an automatic light was triggered overhead, illuminating shelves upon cases upon shelves of...well,  _ munitions _ . The sign on the door wasn't fucking kidding. There were handguns. There were rifles. There was a reinforced case with thick glass containing grenades. There was a wire-frame Nidoking silhouette with a Kevlar suit over it to keep its shape. Even more bulletproof vests hung over its head. 

It was a candy store for militiamen. Some things Hop could only guess at their purpose, like canisters with twisted tops and screens covered with green grids.

His knees threatened to buckle as he took it all in. He'd forgotten to breathe for a moment too many. This was the kind of cache Hop, Victor, and Gloria would be thrilled to find in one of their zombie-Parasect hunting video games. He was probably looking at the inspiration for those very games. It was unreal. 

"Hop, what the hell are you doing?" Came Leon's voice directly behind him. "How did you get this open? Don't tell me someone was stupid enough to leave it unlocked."

"W-Wh..." was all Hop could manage in response.

Leon's large hand wrapped around his bicep. "Come on, I don't want you seeing this stuff." He tried pulling Hop away, but Hop was literally frozen in place. Leon carefully pried his grip off the door and pushed it shut. 

It was too late for that; the sight of the vault and everything in it was already seared into Hop's retinas. There was no way he could forget all of those weapons and no way to pretend that he didn't know exactly what they were used for. His arm tensed underneath Leon's hand and he was hard put not to jerk away.

"Lee...Why...What..." He stammered.

"It's nothing. Don't think about it. Come on, you haven't eaten yet," Leon said. 

How the fuck was he supposed to eat anything after seeing all of that? Was he supposed to pretend that there wasn't an arsenal down the hall?

"I feel sick," Hop whispered. 

"Then we'll get you some ginger ale or something to settle your stomach. There's got to be something down here," Leon said. He still hadn't released Hop's arm as he pulled Hop away from the vault door and back towards Aegislash. Hop's Pokemon had slipped his mind, but his hand was clasped around them like they were the last lifeline he had. 

And that might very well be the case once all was said and done. 

"Forgive me, my lord," Aegislash murmured as they passed. "I thought the door was sealed."

"Forget it. Just keep watching the Electrodes," Leon muttered in reply. At the mention of them, the Electrodes snickered to each other again.

Once they were back in the hall, Hop finally had some space to think. He blinked up at Leon. "Is...it okay that the Electrodes are right next to those...things?"

"What? Oh, it's fine," Leon said, waving it off. "There's no place down here that isn't close to ammunition so this place is as good as any." Hop felt the color drain from his face. There were  _ more _ weapons down here. But before he could say anything, Leon continued. "Besides, these walls were built to withstand detonations. You saw that door, right? Thick as fuck. Nothing is getting in there. I mean...as long as it's locked."

How was Leon so casual about this? How many times was he around weapons for his reaction to be akin to walking into a Pokemart? Did he...use any of them regularly? If so, which ones?

The knowledge that he was locked inside of this bunker with any assortment of deadly weapons along with his brother who...may or may not be stable began to sink in. His heart pounded unpleasantly with the need to run. Run as far away from this place as he could. A chill ran down his spine that could only be caused by proximity to potential death, quiet and primal. His self-preservation instincts were going off. 

But where would he go? Those Electrodes pretty much confirmed that there were any number of people out in the world who wanted him dead. There was death down here and death out there. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. 

At least Leon said he was trying to convince his higher ups that Hop wasn't a spy or some shit like that. Nothing that would give them a real reason to worry about their secrets. Hop just thought that Leon was picking off people he didn't like for whatever reason. He hadn't thought it would go this deep, that he would become a target. Now he'd practically painted a bulls-eye on his back. 

As it was, the only thing between Hop and Them was Leon, his Champion big brother who knew how to end someone's life. Hop wasn't sure he wanted to know how many of them there were. 

And if he could so easily kill a person, why did he let Raihan live? Why spare Raihan when he was already close to a massacre anyway? It didn't make sense. 

There were only two things that Hop could rely on right now and they were himself and his Pokemon. His only chance of surviving this whole thing was to keep calm and carry on. Leon didn't seem to want to do away with him yet. If he was going to get through the next few days, then he had no other choice. As Leon pulled him back towards the Lounge, three words echoed around his skull. 

Keep. Leon. Happy.

~

Leon had been down in this bunker a handful of times before at the behest of Rose, but he was always with the Chairman and the place was never this eerily empty. That was the reason he let his Pokemon out. He feared he would go insane in the dead quiet of the underground where everything looked the same. By himself, he would probably get so lost he would wander into Giratina's dimension. Why not? Stranger things happened.

One thing he  _ never _ wanted was to have to bring Hop down here. He never wanted his little brother to know anything about this side to Leon's life. The Chairman's jobs were only ever things he did to keep Galar safe; because when Galar was safe, Hop was safe. He was the only one who mattered at the end of the day. 

He'd already seen the apprehension in Hop's eyes when he learned everything. He tried to hide it, sure, but Leon knew him better than anyone else. Like the way his eyes darted everywhere when he was nervous or the way he clutched his arms when he was unsure about something. Raihan may have been better at reading people in general, but Leon was an expert when it came to Hop.

It killed him -it  _ killed _ him- to think that Hop might be scared of him now, when that was the last thing he ever wanted to happen. He wanted to believe they could return home after this and let everything go back to normal, as though this was all a bad dream and no one had to die. He only ever wanted Hop to be safe and happy. For his biggest worry to be getting first place in a racing game on his Switch. And now Hop's safe and happy life was being ruined because of Leon.

And to think that Leon's biggest worry the night before had been whether or not Hop would reject his feelings. Now he was trying to convince Rose's entire circle that his brother wasn't a threat to Galarian national security. There was a reason he'd chosen the bunker. If anything could keep out the Intelligence sociopaths, it was their own creation. 

He hadn't even been able to get through to Rose or Oleana yet. Worrying about threats of exposure wasn't supposed to be on his radar. He had a team to take care of that. 

It wasn't supposed to be on -her- radar, either. But for some reason, their Queen Bee decided to take pity on him from her lofty throne. Probably because she knew if their Champion found out they killed his little brother for trying to do the right thing, there would be hell to pay and that was more trouble than it was worth. 

The right thing. Right. Despite how fucked up all of this was, Leon couldn't stop feeling proud of Hop, even if it was him he tried to turn in. He had a heart of gold, didn't he? It made Leon fall even further in love. Here Hop was after a week and a half of shittiness and he wanted to protect complete strangers from being picked off like flies. All Leon wanted to do was hold him close and kiss him and stop anything else from hurting him. Because surely Hop was way too good for the world.

He'd meant to give Hop a few minutes to himself in the Lounge in case he needed time to digest everything that Leon told him. He should have known Hop would be too restless to stay put and wander into one of the armories. Hop wasn't a kid anymore, this was true, but he shouldn't have to worry about what happened to keep wars from breaking out. Guns belonged in his video games, not in real life. Leon doubted his little brother had ever touched one, much less fired a bullet. He didn't need to, especially with his Pokemon to protect him. 

_ Oh, really? That didn't stop Raihan from- _

Now wasn't the time for that train of thought. Leon was tense enough as it was. He didn't need another wave of murderous intent hitting him and mucking the situation up further. Whoever planted the Electrodes in their house should consider themselves lucky that Leon hadn't gotten his hands on them.

Now he needed to focus. His Rotom was busy regulating calls and going through the right channels to get to Rose. They had a little time. Leon wanted to calm Hop down and feed him. He was still too thin for Leon's liking. Didn't he eat at all on his Pokemon journey? They'd stopped at restaurants in Hulbury and Circhester, but it seemed to melt off Hop's scrawny ass as quickly as he put it on.

It'd be a shame for Leon to go through all of this effort just for Hop to die of starvation. This bunker was supposed to be stocked with living essentials in case a national emergency required its use at the drop of a hat.

He pulled Hop to a different Lounge than the one before and turned on a TV mounted into a wall. There had to be something in this place that they could eat. Leon hadn't had anything ever since before his shower the night the Queen Bitch called him. He managed to unlock a pantry and grabbed some canned stew. Not perfect, probably with questionable quality, but better than nothing. 

The kitchen was a side room attached to the seating area with an electric stove and a handful of pots. There was a shelf that divided the two rooms that afforded him a few of where Hop was sitting, curled in on himself, not really watching the action movie on the TV. Not that Leon could really blame him for being despondent when he'd just been plucked out of his home and introduced to a whole new side of Galar. This isn't how Leon would have him find out about all this. If he'd had his choice, Hop would never know at all. 

Well, unless he wanted to give Hop an amnesiac to make him forget everything he was going through, there was no taking it back. There were Pokemon that had the ability to modify people's memories, but that could get messy really quick. Chances were that if Hop had figured all of this out once, he could do it again. He was young and bright, no matter what anyone thought. At least Leon could be there to keep him alive and out of trouble now that things were out in the open. 

He cracked open the cans of stew (just Tauros beef and vegetables) and poured them into a pot to boil. There was some soda in the fridge that might tempt Hop with his sweet tooth. He just looked so small out there, against the alternatively bleached and granite walls. The belt with his Pokemon rested on the table in front of him. Leon wasn't worried about them - he'd been intending on giving them back anyway. It was just that while Leon was moving Hop into the bunker, he didn't want Hop's Pokemon fighting him every step of the way, so he had to move them in a containment case. There was no way they were helping Hop break out of the bunker and if push came to shove, he wanted there to be an extra line of defense between Hop and...whomever wanted to hurt him. 

The fact that he'd almost lost Hop a number of hours ago made his insides churn unpleasantly. It was Leon's fault. He thought everything was fine. If it weren't for the phone call between himself and Rose, he'd still be in the dark. That was what clued him in from the sounds of it. 

Damn Rotom. Why'd it have to keep the call a secret? Leon wasn't  _ unstable _ , he was just under a bit of strain. Once this was all cleared up, he'd be fine. Until then...he was locked into this private facility with his brother...for 72 hours...alone.

No matter how chaotic things were, he couldn't forget what Raihan told him. Even now, while he watched the circle of red slowly heat the pot on the stove, he felt a chill of anticipation crawl up his neck. It wasn't just the desire to protect that made Leon want to go over and take Hop into his arms. Anything to comfort him, to tell him everything was going to be alright. He could already imagine the feel of Hop's warmth pressed against them - he'd done it before when Hop needed to be soothed. 

It's just that now it might have an entirely new meaning tacked onto it. And Leon wanted to know if Raihan was telling the truth. He wanted it like he wanted nothing else in his life. It would only get worse the longer he kept it buried. Was this really the time for it, though? While they were in hiding? Well, anything might happen after the lock on the entrance lifted. There might not be another chance after this, when Rose and his lackeys stepped in. What would he even say to Hop? When should he ask?

He sighed, long and slow, inhaling the steam from the simmering stew, which smelled so much better than it looked. Once it was finished, he fished out a couple of bowls and spoons from the cupboard and divided the contents of the pot between the pair of them. Hop hadn't budged from his seat at the table, though his eyes had raised to the TV. There wasn't much reaction from him as the action continued. There was a boxing fight going on between a couple of Grapplocts in an arena. At least there were no explosions. That might be in poor taste to make Hop watch now. 

"Found a spot of stew," Leon said, setting a bowl in front of Hop along with some Persim berry soda. "You can manage a few swallows, right?" He sat opposite from Hop at the table. Truthfully, his own stomach was growling with the time he spent smelling the stew while it heated up. He was more concerned with Hop, though. 

Hop dragged his gaze away from the telly and down to his bowl. 

"Smells good, doesn't it? I wasn't sure what to think when I saw the cans, but I hoped it might be safe," Leon said, trying to keep his voice light. "Why don't you have some?"

While he spoke, Hop slowly reached for the soda. No surprise there. "It's not bad," Hop murmured. After taking a sip of soda, he hesitantly took his spoon, dragged it through the stew and raised it to his lips. And maybe it was weird for Leon to be staring as he was, but when he realized he was doing it, he jolted back into his body and stuffed a spoonful into his mouth. It wasn't terrible, but not great either. Could have used more salt. 

Hop licked his lips absent-mindedly. The sight of the pink tip flicking over Hop's plump lower lip was more enrapturing than watching a Milotic leap through hoops at an aquarium, especially since the heat of the stew was flushing them pink. 

Seriously, he jacked off to thoughts about Hop once and it was like the floodgates to his lust were opened. How the hell was he expected to survive the rest of the time they were stuck in the bunker with his brother just an arm's-length away?

"I-Is it good?" Leon forced himself to ask. 

Hop shrugged in response. 

"Right, it's edible at least," Leon said. "Not much use for a gourmet chef in a bunker during a war."

He thought he detected the tiniest blanch from Hop at those words and immediately regretted opening his mouth, some of his desire dying down like it had sand thrown over it. Not a good idea to make war jokes right after Hop wandered into a room full of rifles and rocket launchers. He shoved down any other words and dug into his bowl. 

He wound up finishing a lot faster than Hop, who only ate Caterpie-sized portions at first, but then ate more and faster as his appetite awakened. It was a relief to see him finish it off. The movie on the telly droned on all the while with its stale quips and one-liners. 

"Here, I'll take care of your dishes," Leon said once Hop had drained the last of the thick broth and dropped his spoon. 

Hop shrugged again. "It's fine. I've got it."

He knocked back the rest of his soda and gathered up his dishes before standing. Some pink had come back to his cheeks whereas before he looked sallow. That was comforting. Leon was worried the sedative made him sick. Even if he was more aloof than usual, he was recovering. 

He followed Leon to the kitchen where Leon rinsed them out in the industrial-sized sink while Hop leaned against a counter by the shelf where he could watch the telly, his chin cupped in his hand and his elbow on the shelf. If one squinted, it was almost domestic, the ghost of old times back at home but without Mum hovering and chirping over the two of them. There was no disguising the circumstances, though, Leon knew that. He would much rather have the two of them back at home so that he could take Hop aside after Mum went to bed, maybe sitting with him on the couch in the sitting room with the sweet scent of Mum's lavender reed diffuser wafting about the room. He'd put his arm around Hop's shoulders before he asked him how he felt about him...

And hopefully he wouldn't be slapped directly afterward. 

Once the dishes were cleaned and set aside to dry, he rested his hand on the rim of the sink basin, staring listlessly down the drain. Nothing had managed to make him this nervous in a long time. Between his Pokemon battles as Champion and his orders from Rose, he thought the last of his fear was chased away. Apparently there were still things that could get to him. Especially when it came to Hop. 

He swallowed and sucked in a breath before saying, softly, "Hop?...I need to ask you something."

His tone must have had something in it because there was trepidation in Hop's body language when he turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Wh...What is it?"

This wasn't a good time.  _ This wasn't a good time _ . But he needed to know. It had already haunted him for days, and would continue to do so until it was satisfied. Best to have it over with so he could focus on the task at hand. 

"I spoke to Raihan again not too long ago," he said, Then, when Hop flinched, he added, "I just wanted to make sure he understood that just because you approached him at the Gala, he doesn't have special privileges. I didn't kill him. I wouldn't mind it...but while I was there, he told me some stuff and I can't stop thinking about it." He turned to face Hop more fully and came closer to the counter. Hop looked as though he was trying very hard not to draw into himself, so Leon paused. "I just want to know if he was right or if he was spouting bullshit to save his own skin."

Hop's eyes flicked over him, sizing him up like a baby Pokemon would if it was cornered by a much larger Pokemon in the wild. Leon suddenly got the urge to crouch down to make himself less threatening, but decided against it. "He said you told him you feel differently about me than just a brother." None of this was coming out right, but he was already halfway down and digging his own grave, so he may as well keep going. 

Hop's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates as his gaze dropped to the ground. "I...I-I d-d..." There it was, he was clutching his trembling arms. It could mean anything, but Leon drove forward. Because Hop wasn't pushing him away acting disgusted or laughing it off in shocked humor. 

"Hop, I just need to know," Leon began, staring at Hop in pleading. "Do you...really have feelings for me?"

While before, Hop had been shaking, he suddenly froze, hardly breathing as though someone had hit a pause button on him. Leon waited for him to speak, but it was like his entire being went still. If Leon peered at him more closely, his face had more terror than anger or disgust as he stared at his toes. 

He saw the way Hop's eyes peered towards the hall leading from the kitchen to deeper inside of the bunker. If he hadn't been so focused on his little brother, he likely would have missed it. But before Leon could wonder about its meaning, Hop opened his mouth. 

"Yes."

When he muttered the word, he moved against the counter, trying to back away from him. He was saying something else, but Leon didn't really hear it while his world exploded into color. Because the actual answer was what he hoped for, but the very last thing he expected to to hear. His trepidation gave way to relief, warmth spreading throughout his chest. It felt like magic, years of fear, guilt, and disgust at himself giving way to joy. His face gushed red. 

"...won't do anything. Won't tell anyone. We can forget it," Hop's voice broke through the barrier of euphoria. He spoke fast, his voice shaking. 

Leon blinked. "What?"

"I-I'm sorry, Lee," Hop whimpered. He sounded thick with tears. His teeth chattered from the cold of the bunker combined with his panic. "It's gross. I-I know it's gross."

Leon frowned, the happy colors fading away. "What are you talking abou-"

"I w-won't do anything. I'll stop," Hop stammered. He sidled down the counter, away from Leon, who reached out and grabbed his arm before he could get away. It was an unconscious movement, but one that made Hop gasp and seize up nonetheless.

"I won't t-tell Mum. Please don't tell her. She'll h-hate me," Hop spouted. 

"I'm not going to tell Mum," Leon said.

"I'm sorry." Hop wasn't listening at all, was he? Leon carefully pulled him closer. Hop covered his face with his free arm. 

"Hop, it's okay," Leon said. 

"I'm sorry!"

" _ It's okay _ !" Prying Hop's arm away from his face, Leon cupped the side of his head and turned Hop's gaze upward to look at him. The tears welling up in his eyes spilled over his cheeks. A choked sob bubbled out of his throat.

"But-"

"Hop," Leon murmured. "It's okay." He stroked Hop's cheek with his thumb. Hop was still breathing too fast, but his expression turned confused rather than fearful. Leon settled his hands on either side of his little brother's head and leaned in. 

Hop's lips were unbelievably soft underneath his. Soft and warm. And a bit wet from his tears, but that was far from being a real problem. Just kissing Hop was enough to bring back the golden euphoria from before. His eyes squeezed shut, but Hop didn't pull away. Instead, he hesitated before breathing a shuddering sigh into the kiss and pressed his lips back. It was a long moment before Leon finally lifted away. A dusky blush settled in Hop's cheeks. It was so cute and soft that Leon's heart squeezed.

"Come sit with me," Leon told him, before drawing him back into the lounge to a couch. Hop was only half there with the way he was moving, like he was wading through water, guided only by Leon's grip on his wrist. The couch was wide and deep enough for the both of them. Leon sat, bringing Hop down onto his lap. There was no resistance. It was like Hop was in shock with the way he melted into Leon's arms. as they wrapped around his midsection. 

The last time Leon held him like this, Hop wasn't a teenager yet and he'd had a bad dream. He came downstairs to be with Leon as he watched a weird Johto game show on the telly, eventually falling asleep in his arms. Despite the years since then, Hop was so much smaller, fitting perfectly in the curve of Leon's body. One of his hands slid over Hop's heart, which fluttered too quickly under his palm. 

"Relax. Hop. I'm not angry," Leon murmured to him. 

"W...Wh-Why?" Hop managed.

"Because I love you too. I have feelings for you." Leon couldn't help but smile. After all the pining, all the guilt, it was so good to say it. It didn't matter that they were underground, surrounded by gunpowder and steel. Hop was really in love with him. He could die a happy man right now. 

"I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you would hate me," Leon said. He took one of Hop's hands and curled their fingers together. Weakly, more automatically than intentional, Hop squeezed his fingers in return. 

"But I love you, Hop. I love you so much. You're so good to me, so brilliant. I was hoping Raihan told the truth, but..." He stopped, the mention of that name cooling his happiness. "I...I wish I was with you first. I should've said something before he got to you, but I didn't know." He buried his face in the back of Hop's hair, inhaling the scent of vanilla and whipped cream that made his lower belly tighten. 

After a moment, Hop whispered, "I wanted it to be you."

Leon spread his fingers over Hop's chest. "Would you still want it to be?"

More tears thickened his little brother's voice. "Y-Yes."

Leon dropped a kiss to the back of Hop's neck. This was like listening to sweet, sad music.

"I don't know what's going to happen once the lockdown lifts and we get out of here but..." Leon lifted his face and planted a kiss on the shell of Hop's ear. "Right now, we're alone down here. I want to...show you how it's supposed to feel. If...If none of this was happening, I'd take you out. Like d-date you," Leon bit his lip. Dating Hop had always been a distant dream until now. "But...I don't know how many chances like this we'll get."

Hop's shoulders sank. His fingers clutched at the hem of his shirt. Leon continued, "Maybe I could cook you dinner again. Or we can watch a movie or something. I don't know how romantic a bunker date would be but..." His gaze fell to the ground as he ran a hand slowly up Hop's arm. "But...I want to be with you, Hop. I want to make love to you."

He heard Hop suck in a breath and further added, "I'd be slow and gentle. It won't be like what that bastard did to you. Not like that at all. I'll take care of you like you deserve. Just...do it with me, Hop. Sleep with me. Let me make all this right."

While Hop sat there silently on his lap, he planted more kisses to his shoulder, though it was through the windbreaker and shirt. He took Hop's hand and brought it to his mouth where Leon kissed his knuckles.

"Please, Hop? I want you to know how it should be."

He waited, stroking Hop's arms, his sides, listening to him breathe and reveling in how their hips fitted together, in how Hop sank into him. 

And finally, Hop said, "...O-Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Milo has the issue of the farmer's magazine with semi-nude Leon under his mattress.
> 
> Twitter: @for_gotta  
> CuriousCat: for_gotta


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